


Young Blood

by aForgottenWeasley



Series: Agents and Superheros and Vampires.. Oh My! [1]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Character Death, Crossover, F/M, Female Friendship, Gen, Light Angst, Male-Female Friendship, tony really likes to tease caroline about stefan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-29
Updated: 2015-01-20
Packaged: 2018-02-23 03:50:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 87,458
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2533070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aForgottenWeasley/pseuds/aForgottenWeasley
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Caroline's mother is diagnosed with cancer and refuses treatment, Caroline packs the both of them up and leaves Mystic Falls behind. While making sure her mother is as comfortable as she can be, Caroline soon finds herself tangled up with Stark Industries, fast friends with the Pepper Potts, and dealing with drama that briefly puts her on SHIELD's watch list.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to my newest creation! I'm not going to lie, it'll most likely suck but fingers crossed it isn't that bad.
> 
> So for my new baby, everything in the Vampire Diaries realm that has happened up until season 5 has happened.. only I'm going to fuck shit up by claiming Damon and Bonnie are NOT stuck on wherever it is they landed after the Other Side fell. Deal? Good. And also, Mystic Falls is not protected by traveler magic so they can still live there if they want, and Bonnie kept her magic.
> 
> And as for the Avenger realm, Thor just left with Loki back to Asgard (sadly he won't appear in this fic) but Steve and Bruce stayed in New York, and Clint and Natasha are hanging around on the Helicarrier. And no, this will not seep into IM3, Thor: TDW, or CA: TWS. As much as I love the Winter Soldier, I'd be shit at writing him so I'll leave that to the excellent writers of this site and not fuck up his image.
> 
> The year this fic takes place in is 2014 (we'll move up the Battle of New York to 2013 instead of 2012 for reasons). Caroline was born in '92, turned in '10 so that'll put her at 17/18? But for this, she be forever 17. So when she takes the job with SI, she'll be freshly "22". Just thought I'd get that out of the way before anyone starts telling me I'm wrong about something.
> 
> Now on to the good stuff. Hopefully.

" _We're only young and naive still. We require certain skills."_

Caroline's eyes flutter open, the sleepy blonde blinking against the early morning sunlight and yawning as she reaches for her alarm radio.

" _The mood it changes like the wind. Hard to control when it begins."_

The song turns off when Caroline clicks off the alarm, she stretching like a feline before throwing her covers off with a grin.

Today's the big day- the day she and mother load up all of their belongings and head for New York City.

**xXx. XxX. xXx**

The Forbes had lived in Mystic Falls all their lives, Caroline living and  _dying_ there, but it's about time that they move on. It's a bit funny when Caroline stops to think about their leaving, they having been through many life and death situations in Mystic Falls yet the thing that finally makes them realize Mystic Falls isn't for them is when her mother finds out she has cancer.

Elizabeth had been devastated when she found out, Caroline even more so when her mom told her she wasn't going to go through the treatment. It hadn't been a tough decision for Liz since her own mother had it when Liz was about Caroline's age, and Liz had watched the rise and then devastating downfall of her mother's health going through chemotherapy.

She had told Caroline she didn't want that for herself, that she rather live out the rest of her time without all that misery that came along with chemo and radiation. So Caroline accepted it after many arguments and tears, and then sadly asked her mother if she'd be willing to let her turn her.

The answer was not only no.. but **hell no**.

Caroline had gave a watery giggle at her mother's expression when she'd answered but then the giggle turned into full blown sobbing at the thought that she'd be losing her.

They didn't tell anyone and tried to continue on as normal even though people were starting to get suspicious of Caroline suddenly wanting to spend every waking minute with her mom. But the second Liz started getting flu after flu and the local doctors couldn't figure out why, Elizabeth decided to call it quits as being the town's Sheriff.

Of course, with Liz's resignation, lots of eyebrows were raised and questions were asked but Liz simply stated that after everything they've been through with Mystic Falls, she just wanted a break. But with having such a close knit group of friends, they obviously knew that just wasn't the case but Caroline or Elizabeth refused to elaborate after that.

They tried to live a quiet life in Mystic Falls but since it's  _Mystic Falls_ where the Katarina Petrova look-a-like lives, they don't get much downtown. For some reason, everything pretty much boiled down to every damn supernatural villain wanting to get their hands on Elena Gilbert. And for what reason, no-one really knew since the doppelganger blood was pretty much null and void since Elena bit it years previous, and was now one of the undead.

But still, since it was Elena, everyone had to sacrifice their plans and lives to help save the Princess of Mystic Falls, and Caroline had finally had enough.

She had driven around town the following night of her decision, collecting empty boxes from local shops to start packing up their home. Her mother hadn't put up too much of a fight, her only condition being that they not sell the house in Mystic Falls because no matter what, Mystic Falls would always be where they grew up. And Caroline only agreed because the longer they disagreed about something, the longer they were in Mystic Falls. So while letting down her friends via text whenever they asked if she wanted to hang out, Caroline drove around town picking up boxes to start their packing. But while she was busy picking up said boxes, she hadn't counted on anyone spotting her out and about.

**xXx. XxX. xXx**

Stefan watched with a frown as Caroline moved around her house at vampire speed, picking up nick-knacks and moulding newspaper around them before placing them in a box. Clothes were shoved into duffel bags and suitcases, and dishes were placed with care in boxes of their own.

The once lived in home was now becoming more bare as the seconds ticked by and the elder vampire wanted to know why.

His knock on the front door halted Caroline's progression and then earned him a curious yet sheepish blonde vampire answering the door.

" _Going on vacation,"_ he had asked with a raised eyebrow. Stefan watched as Caroline tried to paste on a smile but she couldn't lie to the one person who was further up on the best friend list than the girls she actually grew up with . So when her expression crumpled and her eyes became teary, he immediately pulled her into a hug.  _"What's going on?"_

" _My mom has cancer,"_ she had sobbed into his chest.

And of all the things Stefan expected, that was nowhere on his list. So far, every problem they've come across was supernatural so to have something non-supernatural be the problem for one of his friends, he didn't know how to proceed.

Caroline had continued to tell him what was happening, that her mom refused treatment because she saw first hand how bad chemo affected a person, and that she refused becoming a vampire. Stefan had wanted to talk to Liz- to make her see that staying was better than dying- but Caroline refused him. She had accepted her mother's decision, even respected it, so they were leaving town to live out her mother's life away from the drama their little town provided.

" _Do the others know?"_

" _No,"_ Caroline confessed. _"And you can't tell them. I'm going to tell them when we're on the road in the morning so they don't argue with us to stay."_

She had then went on to explain that Elena and Bonnie would fight the hardest with her, and Damon possibly with her mom but Liz didn't need that stress. She was already sick- only getting sicker as the months passed- and she needed to focus on her mom and not dropping everything because Elena Gilbert was in trouble once more.

Stefan had tried to explain that it wasn't Elena's fault, and Caroline knew that, but it didn't stop everyone from pausing their life just for Elena. She was one of the people who did that- who realized it- and was tired of it. And when she told Stefan to say otherwise- that none of them were continually pausing their lives for something that had to do with Elena- he remained quiet because he knew she was right.

So after promises to keep quiet, and promises to keep in touch, Stefan left Caroline but not before bidding Elizabeth farewell and luck with her health.

**xXx. XxX. xXx**

Caroline hops into the shower without giving her clothes much thought, she only needing something thin and comfortable for all the moving they were going to do that day.

She gets through her normal morning routine in a rush- soaping up, scrubbing down, lathering up her hair and rinsing it out. She brushes her teeth and scrubs her face in the shower, shaving all too quickly and thanking her lucky stars she didn't nick herself. Sure she was a vampire but those little nicks still stung.

And it's only when she's piled her hair into a damp sloppy bun atop her head- dressing in a flimsy pink camisole with a pair of cutoff denim shorts and pink converse does she realize something's off downstairs.

There's not one but  **two**  voices that she can hear.

Running downstairs at vampire speed, Caroline finds her mom leaning against the kitchen counter and holding a cup of tea in trembling hands. And before she can even ask her what's going on, Stefan's trudging back in through the kitchen door with an easy grin.

"Stefan?"

"Hey, Care. Finally awake I see."

"I don't- what are you doing here?"

Caroline's gaze ping-pongs back and forth between her mother and friend, Stefan slowly smirking as he leans against the counter next to Liz. "You didn't actually think you'd get everything to wherever it is you're going with just your little car, did you?"

Caroline opens her mouth to retort only for nothing to come out when she realizes her mistake Stefan just so kindly pointed out. "Dang it."

Liz chuckles at her daughter. "It's a good thing you have even smarter friends." And that- that earns a mock offended gasp from Caroline and Liz chuckles some more after sipping her tea. "Stefan got us a moving truck," she smiles tiredly. "I told him the couches, beds, the stove, the refrigerator, and dining room furniture were staying so he went ahead and started loading up everything else. You just have to help him with whatever boxes were left upstairs."

Caroline turns wide, surprised eyes to her friend and he shrugs sheepishly. "I figured I'd help out. You, of all people, deserve a break. And if that means helping you skip town then so be it. I'll always be a phone call away."

If the blonde vampire gets a little misty eyed, no-one calls her out on it and neither do they laugh at her for suddenly throwing herself at Stefan to hug the life out of him. But when the hug lingers, he does offer a laugh and pat her back affectionately before telling her they need to pack up before the rest of the town wakes up and people realize there's a moving truck at the back of their home.

Caroline gives a watery laugh before agreeing, quickly thanking her friend and then sets out to help him load up the last of their belongings.

And it isn't until Caroline's locking up her childhood home and joining her mother by standing next to her Ford Fiesta does Stefan finally ask where it is they're headed.

"Just a day's drive away," Caroline confesses. "We're heading up to New York." Stefan seems skeptical about their location but Caroline can only shrug. "I know it's not the quiet life but it'll be a busy one. That and the fact that it doesn't sit on a Hellmouth like Mystic Falls apparently is. We can be happy there."

"Only you would make that Buffy connection."

Caroline cracks a grin, sharing one last lingering look at her home before turning her back on it and gesturing for her mom to get in the car. "You don't have to go with us," she tells him. "My mom can drive my car and I'll drive the truck. I don't want everyone getting mad at you when you get back into town in a truck that they'll connect back to me."

"It's fine," he waves her off. "We're all grownups, anyway, and besides.. you said you were going to tell them."

"I am. I will. When we're on the road."

Stefan rolls his eyes all in good humor, nudging his fellow vampire towards her car while he walks back towards the truck.

Caroline settles in the driver's seat of her car, turning to stare at her mom while reaching in between them and gripping her hand in her own. "We're making the right decision, right?"

"Of course," Liz smiles at her. "Don't let the actions or the supposed actions of your friend's scare you into staying when you know deep down you don't want to. You're a grown woman, Caroline, and you're allowed to things for yourself without fearing what others might think."

Care beams at her Mom, nodding her head along with her words before taking a deep breath and starting up her car before pulling out into the street. And it isn't until they're passing up the  _Welcome to Mystic Falls_  sign and Caroline spots Stefan in her rear view mirror does she start to idly fiddle with her phone.

"Don't worry about it," Liz tells her, suddenly taking Caroline's phone and powering it off. "I'll tell them. You just worry about keeping your eyes on the road."

Caroline sighs out in relief, nodding and quickly telling her Mom to text Stefan first that their phones will be off so if he needs to talk to them, to come up with some sort of signal so she knows to pull over. Liz does as she's told and squeezes her daughter's shoulder right before sending out a group text to Damon, Alaric, Elena, Bonnie, and Matt from her personal phone.

" _I know this is not the most mature way to say this but this is the only way Caroline and I felt comfortable in doing so. Things haven't been as hectic as they normally are in Mystic Falls but they've been hectic nonetheless. And with certain health problems coming to light, Caroline and I decided that it was best we leave._

_As far as we're concerned, the move is permanent but we will keep our house in Mystic Falls in case that ever changes. So, please, don't throw any parties there or let the enemy of the month destroy it. I'd like it in the same condition as I left it._

_And with that being said, don't bother trying to change our minds. We're already on the road- moving to a place that will remain undisclosed until we're settled in comfortably- and will call you when we next get the chance. So don't hire any PI's and don't threaten Bonnie to use magic to find us. This is our choice and we're standing by it._

_All I ask for now is that you give us our space and peace, and respect our decision."_

Feeling a bit relieved herself, even if the text turned into a mini-novel, Liz quickly sends the text to the group and then powers off her own phone.

It was time to move forward and not dwell on the past.


	2. Chapter 2

Since it was Momma Forbes who sent the text informing everyone of their move, everyone surprisingly listened and gave them their space.

Which just so happened to only last two days.

Elena was the first to crack- she being quite upset with Caroline for leaving and keeping secrets, and feeling obligated to know what was wrong with Liz that needed them to move. Caroline never told her, of course, so Elena whined and complained about it not being the same since her best friend was gone. But when the nagging started about Caroline ignoring her so-called duty to protect Mystic Falls, Caroline stopped texting her all together.

Bonnie and Matt had been next, the both of them very understanding of the Forbes' decision. Though the both of them wanted, too, to know what was wrong with her mom, Caroline told them it was just rather personal and they'd tell everyone when they were ready. They both wished her luck with her future, Matt even going as far as congratulating her on doing something he'd never be able to do which was to leave the small town life. Even Bonnie had said the same thing though Bonnie felt it was her duty keep the balance in the vampire infested town so that's why she'd never leave.

Caroline had thanked them for their peaceful conversation and even felt bad for Bonnie who felt like she owed her life to the supernatural world but then it was Bonnie's turn to tell Caroline not to worry about it.

Liz ended up getting one call from Alaric and several from Damon, all of which she took in stride even if they left her breathless after each call. Her health had been up and down ever since she passed the year mark in which her Doctor back in Virginia had only given her to live, and Caroline knew she had to act fast if she wanted to get her mother the good medicine.

Since they had only been settled down for a couple of weeks in New York and living comfortably off of Liz's retirement, Caroline knew they couldn't depend on that forever. And since she didn't like compelling herself free stuff like almost every other vampire she knew did, she knew she had to get a job that would also let her have enough time to take care of her mother.

* * *

Getting a job had been a little harder than expected so Caroline resulted in using her compulsion just once in a job interview. It hadn't been the dream job but it was something that paid really well while also having the perks of being something that she was used to doing after being crowned Miss Mystic Falls.

Event Coordinator which roughly translated into Party Coordinator was just enough to keep Caroline busy while also spending time with her mother at their apartment.

Hughes and Hughes, which Caroline often referred to as H-Square, was run by a father and son duo. They pretty much did what Stark Industries did only they didn't interfere with anything  _super_  (Caroline got a kick out of knowing she was technically classified as a super and that they didn't even know), and stayed away from the too-advanced technology.

While Stark Industries was very popular because of their advanced technology gadgets, Hughes and Hughes were decently popular because their technology was a bit easier to work with.

But technology wasn't Caroline's forte, no. It was the party events that rivaled Pepper Potts' parties.

While Pepper Potts was praised for throwing extravagant and classy parties for Stark Industries, Caroline was praised for the same at Hughes and Hughes. And even though Caroline worked within a budget with H-Square, whereas Stark threw money at Pepper for anything and everything, Caroline sometimes just got a little bit more praise because that girl could apparently work wonders with what little she was given.

**xXx. XxX .xXx**

Caroline felt at ease for the first time in months- she having been up way earlier than her alarm, made her mother a decent breakfast that she was able to hold down, and was out the door with nearly an hour and a half to kill before she had to be in at H-Square.

She felt absolutely fabulous in a sleeveless lace top beneath her buttoned boyfriend blazer, black faux leather shorts that were work attire appropriate, and black suede platform stiletto heels that had gemstone accented cutout floral patterns. Her hair was pulled back and secured in a bun though she did leave some wavy tendrils to frame her face.

The October air was crisp and clean, and Caroline didn't have to worry about anything at the moment. Well, at least not until she got her venti salted caramel mocha with half the whipped cream to go.

" _Caroline!"_

The blonde vampire practically skips to the counter to claim her beverage, Julie, the barista, laughing at Caroline's giddiness and then flat out laughing at the pleasurable groan of appreciation once the beverage was sliding down Caroline's throat. And not one to skimp out on tips, Caroline drops a folded up ten dollar bill into the tip jar just because this barista was actually kind to Caroline every time she came in.

So with her drink in one hand and her phone in the other, Caroline barely manages to wiggle her fingers in a wave at a still grinning Julie as she uses her back to open the door as she exits. She barely manages two drinks of her mocha and gets about thirty yards from the door of Starbucks when someone bumps into her arm that's carrying her drink, her vampire senses having not been trained on her surroundings but rather the email she was composing via phone.

But instead of trying to salvage the drink and ending up with half of it running down the front of her outfit, Caroline lets it drop with a gasp and stares mournfully down at all the salty and sweet goodness.

"No," she groans out pitifully.

"I.. am so.. sorry," a decidedly female voice states. "Are you okay? I didn't ruin your outfit, did I?"

Giving her outfit a quick look over, Caroline shakes her head. "No. No, I'm good. And this is my fault. There's no need to apologize." When Caroline looks up toward the stranger, her brain's running a little slow since she didn't get her entire caffeine fix so it takes her a moment or two to realize who's speaking to her. "Oh.. my.. God. You're Pepper Potts! Crap, I didn't get any on you, did I?!" Caroline's gaze immediately drops to Pepper's obviously expensive tailored suit jacket and skirt, and even the shiny heels that has the vampire cringing at what she possibly just ruined. "I wasn't paying attention and I am so sorry if I ruined-"

"It's okay, I'm fine," Pepper's lips twitch in amusement as she tries to calm down the shorter blonde. "And this was totally on me. Can I buy you another?"

Caroline's shocked gaze darts to Pepper's and then to the phone Pepper's wiggling about to show her that she was just as distracted and as much to blame in the drink spilling. Biting her bottom lip nervously, Caroline meekly nods. "It was a really good drink," she then mumbles pitifully.

Ms. Potts actually chuckles, side-stepping the mess they made on the sidewalk and gestures for the Starbucks building. "Come along then. You look like a woman on a mission and I'd hate to make you any later than what I've already caused. Love the shoes, by the way."

"I actually have some time to kill," Caroline says as she keeps up with Pepper's long legs. "And I actually got the shoes from my friend back in Virginia. She got them online so I wouldn't be able to tell you where I got them."

"Pity. They're really great."

"Says the woman who possibly owns numerous pairs of Louboutins, but thanks."

Pepper smiles at the woman's cheeky grin, opening the door to Starbucks and entering after her. They wait in line for a few minutes, the shorter woman tapping away on her phone, and Pepper can't help but think that she should know this person. But by the time the girl is done with her phone and Pepper has a chance to ask the girl her name, they're at the front of the counter where the barista apparently knows her.

"Back for another so soon," the barista asks with a grin, pulling out a venti cup and writing on it.

"Had a bit of an accident," the blonde shrugs back. "And, uh, my order's with hers," she then gently nudges Pepper's elbow with her own. When the barista looks up towards Pepper, her eyes widen and Pepper smiles politely but Caroline saves her from any of the praise or loud recognition she might have received. "I'll have yet another salted caramel mocha."

The barista writes it down, sliding the cup to the side as Pepper hums in thought. "You know, that actually sounds good. But I'll take mine as a tall and then a grande java chip frappuccino."

Again, the barista writes it down on the pad and then adds Caroline and Pepper's name to the cups without even having to ask. It suddenly clicks in Pepper's mind who the girl is-  _Caroline-_ and barely catches Caroline trying to pay for her own drink. She quickly puts a stop to it and quickly hands over over a black card that obnoxiously states  _STARK_ across the front in very visible lettering.

And before the barista can finally fan-girl over  _the_ Pepper Potts, Caroline is quick to pull her aside to wait for their order.

"You're Caroline Forbes," Pepper murmurs as they stand by the side wall. "You're the event coordinator for Hughes and Hughes."

"Guilty," she sheepishly shrugs. "Are you now regretting buying your supposed enemy's drink for her?"

Pepper snorts, shaking her head in mild amusement. "Hardly. If anything, I should buy you more. You're inspiration to party coordinators all over the world."

"Me," Caroline huffs. "No way."

"I'm serious," Pepper assures her. "You're the next big thing," she grins. "Although, I haven't seen or heard about a Hughes and Hughes party coming up. Are you planning anything?"

Caroline knows she should keep her mouth shut- after all, Stark Industries is H-Square's rival- but Pepper seems down to earth and not really that vindictive. So with a frown, Caroline shakes her head. "Not that I'm aware of," she admits. "I've been knocked down a few pegs and are no longer in charge of the company's big time events. They have me more focused on the personal and intimate affairs."

"What a waste of talent," the CEO blurts. "What are they thinking?!"

"I'm not really sure. I mean, I still like it. It's a job that I enjoy and am grateful to have for someone my age but once you get a taste of the big stuff, it's hard to tone things down."

"I bet," Pepper agrees, watching as Caroline frowns as she thinks over her current work situation. And like a light bulb going off, Pepper's eyes light up and she leans in further into Caroline's space. "Well, if you're ever on the hunt or just not happy with Hughes and Hughes, I'd gladly interview you for the same position at Stark Industries," she says as nonchalant as she can.

Caroline sucks in a quick breath, her head whipping to the side only to find Ms. Potts nodding and smiling at her. "B-but what? Isn't that your-"

"I have other duties," the elder blonde shrugs. "And besides, you're really great at what you do. If you did what you've done in the past on a budget, can you imagine what you'd do without a budget? Tony likes to party and he doesn't care about expenses."

Caroline is openly gaping now and Pepper can't stop smiling. But after letting it sink it, Caroline comes to the conclusion that Pepper can't be serious. The CEO of Stark Industries doesn't just hand out jobs like this. So with that in mind, Caroline laughs a little forcefully and shakes her head.

"I'm sorry but I really must be going now."

Pepper's smile drops, a frown forming as Caroline accepts her drink before the barista can even call out their names. And just like that, Pepper sees Caroline drifting further and further away before calling out.

"Wait!" The younger blonde turns and raises an eyebrow in question, and Pepper immediately digs into her clutch only to pull out a crisp white card. "I'm very serious, Ms. Forbes," she says as she pushes the card into Caroline's hand. "Stark Industries could use a coordinator like you since I'm looking to hand off that part of my duties to someone else now. If you need a pay raise, I'll gladly give it to you. Just think about it, please?"

Caroline stares at the card in her hand- the legitimate Stark Industries card with Pepper Pott's business number and personal number- and numbly nods. "I'll, uh, yeah. I'll think about it."

**xXx. XxX .xXx**

Pepper lounges casually on the carpeted floor in the comfort of her shared loft with Tony, legs tucked beneath her as she clicks away on her laptop that's settled on the coffee table beside her. A bottle of iced champagne sits next to her laptop, she having forgot about it when the SI underlings emailed her about the upcoming Halloween Party Tony wanted that was kid friendly down in the South building's lobby.

Apparently, it was another move on Tony's part to get the Avenger's a better image after the alien fiasco- he hosting the party after getting Director Fury to sign off on paperwork to allow his fellow Avenger's who were in the city to dress up in uniform, signing autographs for the trick-or-treaters as long as there was no world-wide threat.

The elevator dings open but she doesn't pay it any mind, she only being distracted from her bit of work when arms wrap around her shoulder and a chin is resting in the juncture of where her shoulder and neck meet.

"Mmm, rough day," she asks as the smell of grease and musk that Tony usually smells like after a long day down in his personal lab infiltrates her senses.

"It was decent. Dum-E only attacked me twice with the fire extinguisher." His stubble tickles her neck as he talks, his lips then pressing a quick kiss there before moving to sit next to her. "What about you? Why is there champagne out?"

"Champagne? Oh," she then perks up when she lays eyes on the bottle. "I was going to congratulate myself on possibly recruiting Hughes and Hughes' event coordinator over to Stark Industries but I got carried away with work."

"Recruiting, huh," Tony waggles his eyebrows as he sets to opening the bottle up. "Sounds a lot like stealing."

"I did not steal her," Pepper mockingly glares at him, watching as he pours the both of them some of the golden bubbly liquid. "We ran into each other, I spilled her drink and then bought her another one, and then we talked. It's not my fault your rival doesn't know how to keep their best party planner happy. She looked so sad when she talked about them moving her around to plan the small parties."

Tony snorts, shaking his head. "What a waste. You're talking about Forbes, right? Young and blonde. Could possibly be Potts Jr.?"

Pepper accepts her glass of bubbly with an eye roll though she does grin at his wording. "The one and only."

"Huh. I've seen what she can do," he admits with a thoughtful expression. "I like what she can do," he then confesses. And when he catches Pepper's gaze, he finds her beaming at him as innocently as she can and narrows his eyes at her. "You already gave her the job, didn't you?"

"No. I gave her my card with a promise for an interview because I'm too busy with other important things to be party planning. I have a good feeling about her, though."

Tony chuckles but raises his glass nonetheless for a toast. "To stealing from rivals."

"To  _recruiting_  from rivals," she corrects.

"Same difference."

With yet another fond eye roll, Pepper clinks her glass with Tony's and downs her champagne.

She really hoped Caroline did call. As much as she loved working for SI, event coordinator was beginning to be a bit much for her on top of everything else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Caroline's outfit can be found [HERE](http://www.polyvore.com/recruited/set?id=139475356).
> 
> Hughes and Hughes does not exist. It was just something I made up for Caroline's first job before being recruited.. or stolen, in Tony's words.
> 
> Thoughts?


	3. Chapter 3

A few days later, when the Forbes women least expected it, Stefan shows up for a surprise visit.

Liz had greeted him happily but Caroline was a bit more on the grumpy side. The main reason for her not having any visitors was because she didn't want the others- namely Damon and Elena- to know where she was only to show up for petty arguments that would most likely end whatever friendship she had left with them. But when Stefan assured her that his brother and Elena were somewhere on the west coast, she calmed down greatly and welcomed him in.

The apartment was small- two bedrooms, a living room, the kitchen area combined with the dining area being the perfect size for Caroline and her mother. They were on the seventh floor, high enough to be away from the noise passing cars made that agitated Liz, but not high enough for Caroline which is why she found her solace atop the roof of her building every now and then.

"You know, when you said you were moving to New York, I thought you were crazy," Stefan says as he stands near the edge of the building, looking out over the city. "I wondered how the small town vampire who relied mostly on the animal diet was going to hack it in the big apple with no wooded area surrounding her."

"It was hard at first," Caroline admits, walking slowly to stand next to her friend. "I had to snatch, eat, and erase for about two weeks, but then one call into Meredith- who's in South Carolina, by the way- was all it took for her to take pity on me and send me blood bags every month that I ration out to last until she sends more."

"And that works?"

She hesitates for a few seconds before blowing out a defeated sigh. "I slip up here and there," she admits quietly and sadly. "But I only drink from the jerks that I find lingering in dark alleys and then compel them to do good with their life after I'm done with them."

Caroline watches as the sun continues to sink below the horizon, her breath stuttering in her chest as she gives a watery chuckle when Stefan drapes an arm around her shoulders. "There's no need to be ashamed, Caroline. It's part of who we are."

"Really? I don't see you tapping any veins other than those that are distantly related to Thumper."

"Actually," Stefan drawls which earns a startled look from his companion. "Bonnie's been helping with that," he grins with a shrug. "We're at our strongest with human blood in our system so I've been adding more and more to my alcohol. It keeps me sated and not all that grumpy."

There's a moment of shocked silence before Caroline suddenly beams, turning fully to embrace her friend in a hug. "That's great, Stefan. I'm so proud of you."

"Well, it's nothing when compared you, little miss vampire who has better control than I've ever had."

"But still, you're working on it. And speaking of Bonnie, does Mystic Falls' resident witch know where you are? And how's Matt doing?"

"She does," he admits with a grin. "But she's attending Whitmore now with Liv and competing for teacher's pet in their Occult class so she sends her love. As for Matt, he's now running the new and improved Grill."

"Oh, no," Caroline groans with a laugh. "I bet Liv hates that, huh? She might have been practicing longer but Bonnie has ties that Liv can only dream about having. And that sounds like Matt. He's never going to leave that small town life."

"Yeah, their petty class drama comes with some amusement, though. And no, Matt's quite content with where he's at."

"Well, that's good. I'm glad some of you are moving on with your lives even if you're still stuck on the Hellmouth."

Stefan snorts, his mouth opening to most likely retort but the red and gold flying object in the sky catches his attention. "Is that- is that  _Iron Man?!_ "

"Hmm? Oh, yeah," Caroline grins at Stefan's astonished look. "You get used to it after the fifth or sixth time," she answers without a care in the world.

"It's not every day you see an actual superhero fly overhead."

"I'm actually tempted to see if I can peg him with a rock whenever he flies by."

Stefan's head falls back with a laugh, his head shaking in fond amusement because Caroline  _would._

**xXx. XxX .xXx**

The two vampires end up inside with Liz, Stefan relaxed in the single arm chair and Caroline curled up next to her mother who looks paler than usual with a woolly lap blanket tucked all the way up so it settles beneath her breasts as she watches trash TV.

A coughing fit hits just as the show goes to commercial break, and Caroline's quick to retrieve a glass of water and her mother's pills from the kitchen. She downs all the medication and gives a tired sigh afterward- Caroline and Stefan sharing weary glances.

"How you holding up, Liz," he asks to fill in the silence that was becoming a bit too much even though the TV was still on.

Breathing in a little deeper than normal, Liz offers Stefan a sleepy grin. "Better than I would have been had I chosen to fight the illness."

Caroline tenses at her mother's words so Stefan wisely chooses to change the subject. "And how are you liking New York? Is it everything you'd thought that it'd be?"

"It's not as noisy like I expected," she admits. "And for being the homeland of superheroes, there's a lot less drama than Mystic Falls so I'm happy. Speaking of," Liz casts a light smile towards her daughter. "Did Caroline tell you that she spoke to Iron Man's girlfriend the other day and got offered a job with Stark Industries?"

"What? No," Stefan quirks an eyebrow at his now sheepish friend. "Well, this is an interesting turn of events. Why'd you turn them down?"

"What makes you think I turned them down?"

"Because if Caroline Forbes landed a job working for possibly the richest man on the planet, you'd have called Bonnie or I up the second it happened."

Crinkling her nose in distaste at her friend, Caroline crosses her arms over her chest and huffs. "I didn't turn them down.. but I didn't accept either," she tells him. "Pepper Potts gave me her card if I was interested and I just haven't called."

"And why is that, hmm?"

Growing frustrated, Caroline groans and then snaps. "Because I'm a vampire, Stefan! How long do you think I'll be working for one of the most paranoid men on Earth before he realizes something's up with me?!" She gains control of herself rather quickly after getting her fear out there, calming down a second later and casting her friend an apologetic smile. "The second my secret is out, I'll be a lab rat."

"I don't believe that for one second," Stefan tells her, Liz nodding along with Stefan's assessment. "You're Caroline Forbes, Miss Mystic Falls, and vampire extraordinaire. You know how to keep this secret so I don't know what you're really afraid of but you can do this. We," he gestures between himself and Liz. "-we know you can."

"I'm not scared of anything," she then murmurs with a frown. "Other than possibly not being around for mom as much as I have."

"Oh, honey," Liz frowns, reaching for Caroline and pulling her closer. "Don't worry about me. I'm fine.. we'll be fine," she says as she hugs her daughter. "I'm pretty sure once you tell them how sick your mother is, they'll keep you on the same schedule. And if not, there's nothing a little compelling can't fix."

Caroline sniffles some before she laughs, her blue eyes meeting Stefan's gaze. "What if they do find out about me, though?"

"Then they find out," he gives her a one-shoulder shrug. "They're superheroes who fight aliens. One little blonde vampire shouldn't traumatize them."

"They're superheroes who barely understand beings from other planets, not supernaturals from their own. It'll be chaos."

"Then do as Liz said. Compel them. If the secret does come out and they handle it badly, compel them to forget. It's not that hard."

"You know, I miss the days when Saint Stefan frowned upon using our little vampire gifts against humans."

"Yeah, well, he grew up. He understands how the world works now."

Caroline keeps his gaze, huffing moments later and groaning as she lets her head fall back. "Why does this have to be so hard?!"

"It's really not unless, you know, you're too chicken to talk to that Potts woman again." It's a childish tactic- really, it is- but Stefan doesn't mind stooping down that low if it motivates his best friend. "Bet you won't call her."

Liz immediately knows what the elder vampire is doing, she having to turn her face away from her daughter to hide her growing smile. She knows her daughter isn't one to turn down a dare or ignore a bet and nearly laughs out loud when Caroline scoffs and stands.

"Bet you I will!"

As Caroline stomps to her room to retrieve the Stark Industry card that Ms. Potts had passed on, Liz slowly reaches forward with her palm out and meets Stefan half way for a high five.

* * *

Caroline smiles nervously at all the passerby business men and women- all of them being at least twenty years or so older than her. She knows all they see is a child parading around as an adult- technically, she was a child considered her body was frozen at the age of seventeen- but after all that she's been through, she has the mind of someone far older.

Her wavy blonde locks blow in the wind as she stares up at Stark Tower complex.

When she had phoned Ms. Potts the previous night, she had realized what Stefan did but Ms. Potts had answered her call before Caroline could hang up. They spoke for a good while, Ms. Potts being quite happy that Caroline ended up calling. And when Caroline asked about the possible interview, she was informed by Ms. Potts herself that she already had the job if she truly wanted it. The interview was just a formality so Ms. Potts could get to know her a bit more on a personal level and so Caroline could ask any questions she might have.

Caroline had been surprised but quite pleased and worked out the meeting with Ms. Potts for the following day after she went in to Hughes and Hughes to hand in her resignation. There was no way that she was going to pass up this opportunity again.

So smoothing down the hem of her green ruffled chiffon dress, Caroline briefly tugs on the sides of her half-cropped black cardigan and marches inside the building. But she doesn't even have to speak with the building's secretary seeing as Pepper Potts just marched around a glass wall waterfall, looking very comfortable and cozy in a tank top, jean shorts, and flip-flops of all things.

"Caroline," she brightly greets, pulling her into a brief welcoming hug. "You're right on time!"

"Am I," she gulps, taking in Ms. Potts' attire one more time.

Pepper sees Caroline assessing her outfit, laughing as she starts to drag the younger blonde along with her. "Of course! You already have the job so I didn't see any use in getting dressed up. Although, I guess I should have passed on that memo," she smile apologetically. "Sorry."

Chuckling, Caroline smiles right back. "It's fine, really. I was just afraid I was early or something."

"You're fine," Pepper assures her.

They enter an elevator, a panel opening up that has Pepper pressing in numbers, and Caroline suddenly feels uncomfortable. She knows that when the Avengers are in town, they call Stark Tower home so there are some personal levels up above. And since Stark Industries caters to the public and what not, it's easy to enter the building but the personal levels? Not so much.

"We'll just be up in the loft today," Pepper suddenly voices. "Might as well be comfortable, right?"

"Right," Caroline quickly plasters on her most enthusiastic smile. But on the inside, she's freaking out.

How the hell was she going to pull this off? Surely she'd need an invite what with being a vampire and the loft being Pepper's home.. right?

Right.

The second the elevator doors open and Caroline gets a peek at the homey furnishings inside, her sluggish heartbeat speeds up and she gulps in fear as Pepper strides right on out. She hesitantly toes the barrier between elevator and loft, the tip of her heeled booties meeting a resistance, and she gulps yet again.

Having not heard any clicking of heels behind her, Pepper turns around and still finds Caroline standing inside the elevator as she nervously looks around.

"Caroline?"

Her gaze snaps to the elder blonde's, Caroline quickly pasting on a sheepish smile. "I grew up in a small town in Virginia. This seems like your place of home so my mother would tan my hide if she ever found out I walked right on in without so much as an invite."

There's a moment that Pepper just stands there, staring at Caroline before she slowly grins and lifts a hand up to her heart. "You are one among a rare breed, Ms. Forbes, and are going to be a breath of fresh air in this building. Please, do come in."

Caroline smiles in relief though Pepper doesn't know that it's relief- she thinking that Caroline is just smiling at her manner's praise- but no one says anything else on the matter.

Instead, Caroline walks further into the modernized loft that Pepper Potts shares with Tony Stark and is immediately impressed with all the up-to-date gadgets lying about, the art hanging on the walls, the appliances she can spot in the kitchen when she looks that way, and the one hell of a view that the glass wall gives of the skyline.

"Over here," Pepper then leads her to the sitting area, Caroline having to take a couple steps down into a rather plush looking floor beneath the couches and sofa chairs.

"Um, do you want me to slip off my shoes," Caroline asks, eyeing the white carpet and cringing at the thought of possibly dirtying it.

Seeing where Caroline's gaze is set, Pepper chuckles. "It's not a must," she informs her. "Tony steps all over the carpet in his shoes and he's usually covered in oil. But like I mentioned last night, you already have the job. This meeting right now is just so we can get to know each other and work out any kinks with your schedule so if you're more comfortable barefoot then go barefoot. I don't mind one bit."

Caroline chews on her bottom lip in contemplation, her gaze darting between the carpet and her shoes before she finally throws caution to the wind. She quickly leans down, unzipping her feet from her boots and sets them aside with a grin when she catches Pepper's eye.

"Seriously, where do you get your shoes," Pepper says as she eyes them.

"These were from a boutique back in Mystic Falls," Caroline answers as she pads towards the couch Pepper's sitting on, aiming the opposite end. "They might not be designer but they were adorable and affordable."

"I'll say." Caroline strips out of her cardigan, quickly folding it in half and laying it on the armrest nearest her. She takes a seat, making sure to keep the hem of her dress down, and angles herself towards Ms. Potts who's staring expectantly at her. "So, Miss Forbes, tell me something that no one else knows about yourself."

Oh, crap.

The vampire secret is obviously off the table. As is the fact that she was Miss Mystic Falls since that was on her résumé which she is pretty sure Ms. Potts already went over. In fact, pretty much everything is off the table since her time in Mystic Falls revolved around the supernatural and the only safe topic is the reason she and her mother were in New York in the first place. Well, at least half of the reasoning was safe to discuss.

So after figuring that there is no better time to admit this, Caroline squares her shoulders and tells Ms. Potts one of the most personal things in her life at the moment.

"Well, the only reason I'm in New York is because my mother is slowly dying." There. Band-aid ripped off. "There was no big dream involved when we moved here. It was just to get mother away from all of Mystic Falls' drama, and live out the remainder of her life away from whining and demanding town folk." Okay, verbal diarrhea, you can stop any time now. "Which is something I actually wanted to talk to you about because I had great hours at H-Square that allowed me to spend time with my mom and I really don't want that to change if it's okay with you."

Caroline takes a breather and chances a look up at Ms. Potts- Ms. Potts who's staring a bit slack-jawed at Caroline now- and Caroline feels like she just messed up her opportunity so Ms. Potts is going to let her go before she can even get started. But before Ms. Potts can say anything, there's a slow clap of applause which startles Caroline greatly as she whips around and finds  _the_ Tony Stark grinning at her.

"Wow, Kid. You babble more than Bruce when he's nervous. I didn't even think that was possible." He saunters forward and Caroline tracks his every move as Ms. Potts sighs out softly at his appearance. "I like your honesty, though. Not many people are that honest right off the bat."

"Yeah, well, not many  _kids_ have the opportunity to be interviewed one on one with  _the_ Pepper Potts."

"Speaking of," Tony flashes her a smirk and takes a seat on Pepper's armrest. "How did you land a job at Hughes and Hughes at such a young age? I've seen your résumé so I know you didn't even complete your first year at Whitemore college."

"Tony," Pepper hisses, jabbing her elbow into his thigh.

"No, i-it's fine," Caroline assures Ms. Potts and saves Tony from the almighty Potts' glare. "I got lucky with H-Square what with them being desperate for a decent event coordinator." Lie- total lie- because she compelled herself the job but she wasn't about to admit that even though she feels bad about it now. "And I guess it was just everything I planned and coordinated back in Mystic Falls for town events that gave me the shoe in. As for the dropping out of college, you would too if people started going missing and then turned up murdered on campus."

Pepper gasps as predicted and Tony's immediately intrigued. "Indeed. I read about those, you know. That little town had animal attack after animal attack. A bit suspicious if you ask me," he says, curiosity shining in his eyes. "Tell me, Miss Forbes, where you ever around for one of these animal attacks?"

 _Plenty,_ she thinks. Hell, she even caused some of them but that's not something you tell in a job interview.. or meeting. Whatever you wanted to call what was going on right now.

Pepper jabs Tony jet again, and Caroline has to hide her grin at Tony's grunt of pain and pout.

"Actually, I was." And that gains both Stark and Potts' attention. "We had some great back to school parties when I was in high school and I'd just started my Junior year. The parties were always out in the woods and my ex-boyfriend's sister had a fight with both her boyfriends that night. She got separated from one of them in the woods and she was attacked."

"Oh, no," Pepper gasps. "Was she okay?"

"She was fine," Caroline smiles tightly, thinking back to what had really happened to poor Vicki. "She lived but she, uh, she passed a few months later. She was never the same after the attack-" a vampire constantly compelling you and then turning you would do that to a girl. "-and there was a drug deal gone wrong that ended up claiming her life."

"Oh, I'm so sorry."

"Thank you. We mourned and then we moved on. Vicki would have wanted that."

"You know," Tony quickly fills in before silence could take over, changing the subject off of death. "With you working for Stark Industries, you'll be in close contact with the Avengers when they're here."

"Okay?" Caroline drawls.

"And there are some people who believe that the Avengers are to blame about the city's destruction and the numbers of death that happened when the aliens came-"

"Pft," Caroline cuts him off with a very unladylike snort. "You guys saved us. What? Would they have preferred for the alien race to kill off the rest of the world or enslave us?! I don't think so."

Tony's lips twitch in amusement but he manages to stay on track. "Exactly. Anyway, when people realize you're coming in and out of the tower, there will be a target on your back for those who are still holding a grudge. Are you sure you're up for what working for the Industry entails?"

"Positive," Caroline nods, flashing both Tony and Ms. Potts her most award-winning smile. "My mother was the Sheriff in Mystic Falls so she knew the dangers a girl faced," she shrugs nonchalantly. "Lets just say I've had several defense classes growing up and that I know my way around a handgun. I haven't actually fired a gun before but if push comes to shove, I know what I'm doing."

Pepper looks proud and ecstatic, and Tony stares at her with approval etched into his features.

"Huh. You might actually fit right on in here, Forbes."

"I sure hope so, Mr. Stark."

"Puh-lease," he dramatically rolls his eyes. "You're not on the clock yet so it's just Tony. And I'll only allow Mr. Stark until I think you've proven yourself and then it'll be Tony from there on out. No need to be so formal."

Caroline fights off an amused smile as Ms. Potts rolls her eyes. "Yes, well,  _Tony_ should be going now. This is my meeting and I will not let you take it over."

"Fine.. fine. I can see when I'm not wanted."

He stands with a dramatic huff, walking away as Caroline follows his every move with her eyes. "See you around, Tony."

"Shove it, Forbes."

Caroline barks out a laugh, sparkling eyes turning back to Ms. Potts who chuckling with her. "I'm so glad you have a sense of humor. I was afraid I'd have to apologize for him."

"No, no. It's fine," Caroline assures her. "Mr. Stark has nothing on those I knew back in Mystic Falls. I'm used to it."

Caroline didn't mean any harm or was looking for pity by her comment but apparently Ms. Potts didn't think that someone like Caroline should be  _used_ to humor such as Tony's at such a young age. But she's quickly over it the second she sees Caroline's smile falter and is changing the subject yet again.

"So, about your schedule," Pepper quickly asks. "What were your hours with Hughes and Hughes?"

"Oh, um, well I had to be in the building Monday through Friday from nine in the morning to five in the afternoon," Caroline tells her. "I was lucky to have the weekends off so I was hoping that wouldn't be changing?"

"As an event coordinator," Ms. Potts frowns.

"Yes."

"Hmm. Well, I don't see anything wrong with you having your weekends," Pepper assures her. "And Monday through Friday works for me. Although, I'm not sure why you had to be in so early," she shakes her head. "Sure event coordinating is time consuming but to be in that early? That's what phones and laptops are for to work from home."

Pepper looks so put out by the schedule that Hughes and Hughes had Caroline on that it's too much to keep Caroline from chuckling.

"But, anyway, you can keep Monday through Friday but I don't want to see you in the building until noon. I'm thinking noon to five would work fine as long as you keep your phone on at all times."

Caroline goes slack-jawed- this offer being better than what H-Square had her on and even pays a bit more. And not only that, she has a feeling the environment's going to be more easy going if the way Tony Stark was already speaking to her is anything to go by.

"D-definitely. That sounds amazing!"

"Great! Can you start on Monday?"

It was Thursday afternoon now so that'd give Caroline time to shop to find a bit more formal wear since Stark Industries seemed more sophisticated than Hughes and Hughes.

"Of course. I'd be glad to start on Monday!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Caroline's outfit can be found [HERE](http://www.polyvore.com/interview_appropriate/set?id=139958502) :) And FYI, if the description in the story is good enough for you then you don't have to check out Polyvore. I only put up outfits on there for a visual because some people actually like that. So for the reader who left a few mean comments last week on a completely different story.. you're completely wrong if the number of followers I have on Polyvore is anything to go by :D
> 
> Leave your thoughts in a review, please! I'd like to hear your opinions and what you like and don't like.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Caroline's outfit: [polyvore](http://www.polyvore.com/first_day_work/set?id=140395064)

Liz had been ecstatic for her daughter when Caroline told her how the pseudo-interview went; Stefan, Bonnie, and Matt even more so when she called and emailed them to tell them the good news.

Caroline hadn't known what type of clothing to purchase but Liz was quick to assure her that what she already had in her closet was more than okay. She hadn't believed her, of course, and dragged her mother out on a brief shopping spree when Liz looked as if she was having a good health day. But while Caroline was trying on skirts and suit blazers, she had got an email from Pepper Potts on dress code regulation.

Pant suits, skirts, and fancy blouses were recommended but Ms. Potts wasn't too strict on that. She went on to add little notes here and there, she explaining that the fancy shorts and dresses like the ones Caroline had favored in both their meetings were permitted as long as she wore a jacket over anything sleeveless or strapless. Shoes weren't a big deal either as long as they weren't casual flip-flops seeing as she was working for Stark Industries, after all.

Caroline was giddy and Liz was smug so Caroline treated her mother out to lunch, took her for a mani and pedi, and then picked up dinner to eat in the privacy of their home.

* * *

Monday morning came far sooner than Caroline had anticipated, she waking up to  _good luck_ texts from Bonnie, Matt, and a phone call from Stefan. She had more than enough time to make breakfast for she and her mom as well as rethink her outfit that she'd chosen the previous night to wear.

So after making sure her mother was comfortable for the day and that her medications were all within arms reach, Caroline showered and blow-dried her hair into sleek waves. She donned very little makeup, keeping everything natural and slipped on an olive green one-shoulder draped mini dress. Hose kept her legs from appearing too pale and a cropped black rustic leather jacket to hide her nearly bare shoulders. And once her slouchy suede boots were slipped onto her feet, she slips her phone, I.D, and money into a black clutch before bidding her mother farewell for the day.

**xXx. XxX. xXx**

The one thing Caroline knew she was going to quickly love about working for Stark Industries was that it was in walking distance, Starbucks being caught in between both buildings on her way to work. That and the fact that the afternoon rush doesn't seem as bad as the morning rush.

She's quick to let the smell of coffee, chocolate, and caramel invade her senses in hopes of turning her hunger for blood into one for caffeine, and the second she closes her eyes to breathe in, a catcall has her eyes snapping open.

"Dang, Caroline," Julie lazily smiles at her from behind the counter. "You're looking extra 'licious today."

"And you're looking extra.. worn out," Caroline quirks an eyebrow in amusement. "Is there a boy I should be giving the shovel talk to?"

Julie laughs, her big round eyes crinkling at the corners as she laughs at Caroline's protectiveness. "I wish. I'm studying earlier than normal for finals. You want your regular?"

"Yes, please, but make it two salted caramel mocha's- one venti, one tall. And good for you," Caroline says as she pops open her clutch for the money. "Not many college students take their education as seriously as you."

Caroline and Julie end up making small talk as her drinks are being prepared, and then when Julie's passing Caroline her drinks, Caroline drops in a twenty into the girl's tip jar before slipping out the door with a smile.

The trek to Stark Towers is a short one, Caroline happily smiling at anyone and everyone who notices her as she sips her mocha, the taste quenching her hunger. She'd had a glass of blood that morning for breakfast but with her nerves acting up since this was her first day working under Tony Stark, everything was on overdrive and she could feel herself ready to pounce should a situation call for it. That plus the fact that Manhattan was still under construction and the piercing noises were making her extra jumpy.

The brightly lit lobby of Stark Tower- one of the first buildings to be rebuilt right after the attack- with it's polished until you could see your reflection floors makes Caroline extra giddy, she smiling from ear to ear as she makes her way up to the building's receptionist.

"Hello, I'm Caroline Forbes and I start work here today," she says as a way of greeting. "I was told to pick up my badges here."

"Of course. All I need is some identification and I can hand those right on over."

Caroline obliges happily, setting down the drinks on the counter with an apologetic grin before diving into her clutch for said identification card. When she hands it over, the receptionist takes it to look over and assure that this  _is_ Caroline Forbes, and then hands over not only Caroline's I.D but a badge that's to be clipped on her somewhere to say that she belongs there.

"Seems like you're all set," the receptionist tells her as Caroline clips her badge onto her jacket and then pocket her other I.D. "When you hit the elevators in the back, take it up to the sixty-eighth floor where Ms. Potts is waiting to have a word with you before you begin your day. From there, she'll tell you where your own office is."

"O-okay," Caroline stammers in awe. She'd been hoping to see Ms. Potts before she got started on the day's task but she hadn't known she'd be getting her own office.

It takes Caroline a brief moment to wrap her mind around everything, she then quickly gathering up her drinks and heading for the elevators that the smiling receptionist pointed her to. Once settled in the larger than normal elevator with it's reflective walls, Caroline hits the button for the sixty-eighth floor and braces herself for the ride upward.

" _Good afternoon, Miss Forbes, and welcome to Stark Industries."_ Caroline startles at the disembodied voice, her clutch falling from where it was tucked between her elbow and ribs, and her head snaps up towards the ceiling in shock.  _"I apologize for frightening you, Miss. My name is JARVIS and I am an Artificial Intelligence that Sir made to run the building and relay messages when needed."_

"An AI," Caroline tilts her head in confusion before bending down to pick up her clutch. "So you see all, hear all.. know all?"

" _Indeed, Miss Forbes."_

"Huh." Caroline quickly realizes that she's going to have to be extra careful now around Stark Industries, she not wanting Stark's handy AI to catch something he's not supposed to. But when the elevator comes to a stop, she has to put all that on the back burner and get ready to meet with Ms. Potts again. "Well, it was nice to meet you JARVIS. We'll be talking again soon, buddy."

" _I look forward to it."_ Huh. Stark made his AI a charmer.  _"Have a good day, Miss."_

"You as well, JARVIS."

And with that, Caroline steps off the elevator only to meet yet another receptionist who was apparently waiting for her. She's immediately waved on through the doors that lead to a small hall where Ms. Potts' office is located at the end of. When she enters, Pepper Potts is situated at her desk that sits in front of an incredible view of the city, her smile welcoming before her eyes zero in on the coffee in Caroline's hands. "Please tell me you're an angel in disguise and that one of those is mine?"

"It's a salted caramel mocha," at her words, Pepper's eyes widen and Caroline suddenly realizes something with a frown. "Which I just realized that I never asked if you even enjoyed it before I bought it but it's yours if you still want it."

"Yes," Pepper actually groans as she motions with grabby hands. "It was very delicious, thank you," she says as Caroline hands over the Tall with a laugh. "And I've been craving good caffeine since I woke up but Tony disassembled our coffee maker. Again." She sips the beverage with an appreciative sigh before gesturing for Caroline to take a seat. "Mmm, that's the good stuff."

"Indeed," the younger blonde agrees as she sips down the rest of her own.

She sits there as calmly as she can, her eyes darting from the abstract art hanging on the walls to the view behind Pepper as the blonde CEO pulls out a manilla folder and flips it open. "I'm sorry to dump this on you at the last second but there are some NDA's you are required to sign. It pretty much just states that you are not allowed to talk about anything technological wise you see or hear about while in Stark Tower, and should you have any run-ins with the Avengers, that's to remain on the low down."

"O-oh. Okay," Caroline nods, leaning forward and taking the pen Pepper had been brandishing. "But before I sign, I'm not signing my soul away, am I? I understand confidentiality pretty well but I'd like to know upfront if there's anything hidden in here before I sign."

"Miss Forbes, I would not lead you astray," Ms. Potts assures her. "I actually like you and think you have a promising future here at Stark Industries." And with that being all she really needed to hear, Caroline signs on every dotted line that Ms. Potts points her to. "Excellent. Now that that's out of the way, here," she says as another folder is presented to Caroline. "I have everything for the Stark Halloween event planned and accounted for so all I need you to do is to make the last minute phone calls to make sure everything's still on track. Your personal office is on the forty-ninth floor and you're welcome to decorate as you see fit. Good luck!"

Caroline is absolutely speechless at the whirlwind that is Pepper Potts, she taking the folder with wide eyes and a nervous chuckle. She gives her  _thanks_ and  _goodbye_ to Miss Potts before she's exiting the office and then on her way back to the elevator.

She presses the button for her floor, she soon stepping out in a hallway that's lined with closed doors. There are names on each door- names that she doesn't give much mind to- and halfway down the hall there's a small kitchenette area with vending machines for snacks and drinks, a table and chairs, a refrigerator, and a microwave.

There's even more doors on either side of her and she only comes to a stop at a door that has thin windows on either side of it, her name being the name sitting at eye level on the door in front of her.

With a new wave of giddiness, Caroline opens the door and beams at what is her very own office. There's a brown leather couch to the left against the wall, and filing cabinets along with a roll-able white board and markers to her right against the other wall. Her desk and chair sit in front of one the most incredible views, two chairs sitting in front of her desk for visitors, and potted trees in both corners where the solid walls meet the glass wall.

There's what appears to be a laptop and a brand new Stark Phone sitting atop her desk along with a very business-like phone system setup.

It's very bare as far as offices go but as she recalls Ms. Potts' words, the place is hers to decorate. So with a happy little sigh, Caroline marches forward and sets everything down, walking around her desk and taking a seat in the very comfortable rolling chair.

With a roll of her shoulders, she opens up the folder that Ms. Potts gave her and picks up the phone from it's cradle only to settle it between her ear and shoulder.

She has work to do.

**xXx. XxX. xXx**

Caroline's faced towards the window of her office, phone cord twirling around her finger as she banters back and forth with the cupcake creators.

Everything else for the Halloween event was running smoothly- the lobby was beginning to be blocked off to start for preparations, Halloween decorations were on the way, tables and chairs and cloths had been delivered, and appropriate snacks for children had been approved. But the only thing Caroline ran into trouble with were the cupcakes.

The cupcakes were all Avenger themed- Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor having white cake while the Black Widow, Hawkeye, and the Hulk had chocolate.

Iron Man's frosting was red and golden swirled with tiny arc reactors made from fondant placed on top, Captain America's were blue frosting with tiny shields, and Thor's were red with tiny mjölnir's. The Black Widow's cupcakes had black frosting with tiny red hourglasses that showed up on the actual spider, Hawkeye's frosting was purple with tiny arrows crossed atop, and the Hulk's were green with tiny plastic sayings that said  _S_ _mash!_

Only, the Hulk's cupcakes were what was giving Caroline a problem.

The color of his frosting was off and Caroline was a person who had to be precise.

A knock surprisingly sounds on her door and Caroline turns just as Tony Stark himself sticks his head in. She smiles briefly at him, holding up a finger as if to tell him one moment when he opens the door wider and another man with fluffy salt-n-pepper colored hair trails in after him.

"I understand, ma'am, that you've already mixed the frosting but it's just not the color I'm looking for. What I'm seeing in the picture you sent me is more of a basil green and we're looking for a vibrant shamrock green."

Tony and his companion take a seat in the offered chairs, Tony cockily crossing one leg over the other but smartly remains quiet as he watches his newest employee work.

"Yes.. yes. Well, no," Caroline frowns, averting her eyes from the men in front of her. "I've never seen the Hulk in person-" Tony chokes on his own tongue and Caroline glares at him as the other man tenses in his seat. "-but I still think that shamrock green is more of his color than what you've sent me."

Tony's having trouble hiding his laughter and the other man appears to be blushing while also scowling at Stark. "Mr. Stark," Caroline then calls out, holding the receiver away from her. "Will you please tell them that this green is not okay?" She turns the opened laptop towards Tony, both he and his friend leaning forward to look at the cupcakes. With a quick nod, Caroline's back to speaking into the phone's receiver. "Okay. Well, I have Mr. Stark here and he'll tell you what color the Hulk frosting should be since he does work side-by-side with the man."

Again, Tony chortles as he casts a side-glance to his partner and leans forward just as Caroline puts the phone as speaker. "Stark, here," he smirks. "-and I must say, Miss Forbes is correct. The Big Guy is a more vibrant green than the dark green that you originally had planned. And well, you wouldn't want to get the Big Guy angry when he sees you can't match his color, do you?"

_"N-n-no, Sir. Not at all! We can fix this."_

"Excellent. Thanks for being such a sweetheart about it."

"Yes, thank you," Caroline adds in with an eye roll before ending the call.

"Hard day at work," Tony then grins as he leans back in his chair.

"Hardly. She was the only person who gave me trouble because we couldn't agree on colors."

"I see," Tony chuckles as he turns to face his friend. "Anyway, just thought I'd drop in and introduce you to a friend of mine. He works 'round the clock here but he stays mostly in the labs. This is Bruce Banner," he finally gestures to the fluffy haired man. "Bruce, this is Caroline Forbes. Pep stole her from Hughes and Hughes."

"You can keep saying it like that but it won't change the fact that she recruited me," she says, standing up and coming around to stand next to Bruce. "Hi, pleasure to meet you."

Bruce smiles up sheepishly at her, he hesitantly taking her offered hand for a shake. Though when they clasp hands, Caroline feels her spine straighten up just a tad bit more as her senses warn her that something's up with this man. But before Bruce or Tony can notice, her smile stretches even further.

"So you're a friend of Mr. Stark's, I see. Is he always so.."

"Brash and blunt? Why yes," Bruce grins, slowly easing up around the new woman once she stepped back and gave him his space once more. "I'd tell you you'd get used to it but he still manages to surprise me even now."

Caroline chuckles and leans against her desk, crossing her arms over her chest. "That's fine. I think I'm actually going to like it here."

The three chat easily among one another, Tony and Caroline mainly keeping the conversation going when Caroline's alerted to an email. She quickly checks it only to find a message from the cupcake caterer with a new image of the frosting they requested.

And after having it approved by both Stark and Banner, Caroline replies that it was perfect.

* * *

Working for Tony Stark came with one perk that Caroline hadn't even thought of; her very own Stark card.

It was supposed to be for anything she bought work related but when she kept coming in with coffee drinks, Pepper told her it was fine to use the Stark card on that as well and if she would please bring her in that drink Caroline had introduced her to when she came in, it'd be greatly appreciated.

For an event coordinator, at least in Caroline's case, work was fairly easy. Once she gotten the event all taken care of, that was it. She had room to breathe until the next event was thought up and then approved before she started work all over again.

Halloween, as expected, ended up being a success with no threat to the world. But as Caroline was getting ready for the big event and preparing to meet the other Avengers, Liz became greatly ill and Caroline had to stay home.

Pepper had completely understood and kept Caroline updated through the night of the children enjoying all that they had accomplished. But when it came to going back to work, Caroline found herself overwhelmed by Pepper and Tony who wanted to know if her mother was okay.

She'd tried to tell them all was fine but when the duo didn't waver, Caroline confessed that the illness her mother had was cancer and she wasn't seeking treatment. Both Tony and Pepper had been absolutely speechless but Pepper was quick to assure Caroline that if there was anything she needed, for her to not be afraid to ask.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick note, I'm not sure how the Doctors go about treating a patient when refusing any type of help so don't judge too harshly about how I went about it. And as for the venue mentioned in this, it's all fictional.
> 
> Enjoy!

With holidays being so close together in the ending months, Stark Industries didn't have any big events to keep Caroline occupied. And the only thing that she should have been worried about and would have possibly kept her occupied is finding a venue for Stark's upcoming Christmas celebration but Pepper had that already booked a year in advance.

But with Christmas too far away for Caroline's taste, she's counting on Stark to want something for Thanksgiving planned so her mind isn't on her mother's illness.

After Halloween, Liz's health took a minor fall. She ended up in the hospital a couple days later and after finding out that their patient had cancer and was refusing treatment, there wasn't much they could do other than scans to see how far the cancer had progressed. And when they got the results, Caroline reached the end of her rope and pleaded with her mother to do something when they realized the Doctor's estimated her life span up until the new year. But again, Liz refused with tears in her eyes and apologies slipping passed her lips, and the doctors let her leave with pain medication and an oxygen machine to help her breathe easier.

Caroline and Liz went through a bit of a rough patch, Liz refusing treatment and Caroline not knowing how to speak to her. So as Liz coughed and wheezed, and relied on her oxygen tank, Caroline pasted on a smile and continued on to work in hopes of Ms. Potts having something for her to do. And when she didn't have much, she'd go home on edge, check on her mother and feed her, and then would wait until the sun went down to put on her slinkiest dress, her highest heels, and as much makeup until she was unrecognizable in the mirror.

It wasn't the best of coping mechanisms but Caroline found that sinking her fangs into a skeezy man's neck made her feel a bit better.

She'd find a bar miles away from where she now called home, sit at the bar and have a couple of drinks, dance with complete strangers, and eventually lead the most handsy of them all out into the alley for a  _good time._ Though her good time and his good time varied greatly, Caroline had no problem pushing her prey into the brick wall and letting the veins beneath her eyes pulse angrily.

By then, the man or woman- she wasn't picky when it came to food- would start protesting and freaking out but Caroline would never let her hand leave their chest as she held them in place.  _"This is going to hurt,"_ she'd compel them.  _"But you're not going to draw any type of attention to us and not push me away."_

She'd keep them so they knew what was happening, letting them feel the pain of her fangs sinking in and the blood being siphoned from their bodies, but she never drank too much. And by the time she was done, she'd compel them to forget what had happened and to get on with lives by making better decisions.

She always left the alley with a guilty conscious, licking their blood off of her lips and slipping back into the apartment with tears running down her cheeks.

Liz never knew exactly what was happening but she had an idea and always welcomed her daughter home with open arms, and quiet words of assurance that she'd be fine after Liz herself passed on. That always led to more tears but Liz held on. They ended up having a talk when Caroline came home crying after the fifth time because of her guilty conscious and after that, Caroline stopped feeding in dark alley's.

She and her mother got along a little better but still, she was relying on Stark to make a last minute Thanksgiving event. Only, just when Caroline thinks Stark's going to cave, Pepper nips any ideas in the butt by telling him everyone wants to be with their family and not stuck at the Tower or wherever else he might think up.

* * *

The ending of November is slow and Caroline finally decides to see the venue for the Christmas party for the first time. The only opening they had that the owner could show her around is around eight in the morning, and after Liz assures Caroline she'd be fine, Caroline takes it.

The venue is  _more_ than what Caroline was expecting but given that Pepper Potts was the woman who booked it, she shouldn't have expected anything less. The walls were a nice shade of red oak, the flooring carpeted except for the dark walnut dance floor in the middle of the room. There's a giant wooden stage with maroon draping towards the back of the room, the stage being large enough for a live band that Caroline wanted- the band singing various versions of the most popular Christmas songs. It seemed a bit cheesy but Pepper immediately approved the idea because now-a-days, people were using DJ's and she craved different.

But the thing Caroline liked most about the room where the three chandeliers hanging from the ceiling.

From the entrance of the room, the chandeliers dotted along the ceiling in a line towards the stage, the one in the middle being the largest of them all.

The owner then gave her a moment after Caroline sang praises for the chandeliers, she then walking towards the middle of the room with her heels clicking against the wooden flooring. She whipped out her Stark phone, pulling up the notes as she studied the room and starting jotting down ideas for decorations.

She immediately knew she wanted round tables, the table cloths being a shimmering silver. The chairs could be draped with the same cloth, a deep blue ribbon tying around each chair. Green garland with the red berries can be draped along the walls with wreaths dotted here and there.

Multi-colored lights were a must but she didn't want to go the traditional route and drape the ceiling or corners with them. However, she was more than okay with putting icicle lights above the stage for the band but the multi-colored lights needed to elsewhere. And looking up, Caroline smiled when she found a solution.

The owner didn't seem too happy when Caroline voiced she wanted to switch out a majority of the bulbs in the two smallest chandeliers for colored bulbs but after a bit of compelling and a bit more money for the hassle, Caroline had her way.

**xXx. XxX. xXx**

Since Caroline had been meeting with the owner of the venue, she was more than welcome to come into Stark Towers a little later than what she was supposed to since she was working anyway. But since she'd been working, she hadn't had time for a decent breakfast or a lunch and called Ms. Potts' personal line as soon as she was done with her meeting.

" _Ms. Potts speaking, how can I help you today?"_

"Ms. Potts, it's Caroline. I just finished up with the venue, got my list put together to either be approved or redone, and am now on my way to pick up some lunch. Is there anything else you need while I'm out?"

" _A-already,"_  Pepper stammers over the line.  _"Wow. I knew you were a great steal."_  And at this, Caroline snorts but doesn't bother correcting her.  _"Tell me, is the place still as beautiful as I remember it?"_

"It's magnificent," Caroline assures her as she picks up her car from valet then quickly connects her phone to the car's system so she didn't have to hold the phone and drive at the same time. "The walls are red oak and the draping for the stage is maroon so I've decided to cut the red from the theme. I hope that's okay."

" _That's fine,"_ Pepper agrees.  _"There's nothing else that needs to be done out of the office so just come in after you're done with picking up lunch. Although, can I ask you of a favor?"_

"Sure. Go ahead."

" _I haven't eaten lunch, Tony either, and was just thinking if you could bring us something as well. It can go on your company card."_

"Of course! Yeah. Is there anything specific you want?"

" _Well, I don't want to keep you out and about so whatever you're getting is fine."_

"I'm stopping by Panera Bread. I'm not sure you like that, though."

" _Can't say that I do."_ Pepper then hums in thought.  _"But if you think it's good, I'm willing to try it. What do they serve?"_

Caroline gives her a quick run-down of the various sandwiches, pastas, soups, and salads- Pepper then telling her to get her the Fuji Apple Chicken Salad and to pick up various menu items so she can pick through them and so Tony has a variety to choose from.

Caroline quickly agrees, hanging up with the Boss Lady and driving towards her destination. Once there, Caroline sighed as she stood in line and eyed the menu as she mentally made a list of what she was going to order. And once at the front of the line, Caroline quickly apologizes with a grin and rattles off her order.

She got Pepper her salad she requested and a Bacon Turkey Bravo sandwich for herself. As for the selection she was taking back to the Tower, she got two Chipotle Chicken Panini's, two Smoked Ham and Swiss sandwiches, a Roasted Turkey and Avacado BLT, a Cream of Chicken and Wild Rice soup, and a Tortellini Alfredo.

She knew that where Tony Stark was, Bruce Banner wasn't far behind so she figured she'd take the quiet man lunch as well.

The person at the cash register had tried not to gape at the order as he punched it in, but the second Caroline pulled free her Stark company card, there was no hiding the gaping mouth.

Caroline giggled, shrugged, and mentioned that the man himself had never tried Panera so she was getting a variety for him to try. And almost immediately, the workers who were in hearing distance tried their damnedest to make this particular order as quickly as possibly without messing it up.

Her order is out far quicker than she anticipated, she quickly checking to make sure everything is there before handing over her card to pay for everything including a generous tip for the service. She even gets offered help to take her bags out to her car but she politely declines and takes it herself.

**xXx. XxX. xXx**

Parking in the Tower's underground garage is something new for Caroline but she's pleasantly surprised when JARVIS' voice echoes around the garage to guide her to the elevator. Once settled inside said elevator, Caroline hesitates over which floor button to press and startles when the elevator starts it's upward flight without being prompted to.

" _My apologies for startling you, Miss Caroline, but Ms. Potts wanted you brought up to the Communal floor when you got in."_

"No worries, JARVIS. I'm fine," Caroline assures the AI and leans against the back wall of the elevator. "The communal floor, huh? I thought I didn't have access to that floor."

" _Ms. Potts assured Sir Stark it was fine given the hours you've been putting in with Stark Industries. Other factors contributed to her decision as well."_

"Such as," she drawls in hopes of knowing just what it was that led Ms. Potts to giving her access to the main floor where all Avengers supposedly congregated when there.

" _I am not at liberty to discuss that with you, Miss Caroline."_

"I figured," she grumbles all in good humor just as the elevator doors ding open. "Thanks for the ride and chat, JARVIS."

" _It was my pleasure, Miss Caroline. Have a good lunch."_

She laughs as she walks out, hesitating a moment to take in the whiteness of the open expanse of the room. Everything's done up in white tones- the floor white tiled, furniture in a cream color, lots of chrome appliances, and dark marble counter tops in the kitchen.

Pepper's waiting at the bar/table, smiling wide as Caroline makes her way towards her. "Finally! I thought my stomach was about to devour itself." Caroline returns the smile as she places the bags atop the bar, Pepper then tilting her head upward. "JARVIS, can you tell Tony to come on up, please?"

" _Sir is on his way, Ms. Potts. Apparently he was far more famished than the thought."_

"Smart boy," Pepper grins. "Thanks, JARVIS."

_"You are most welcome, Ms. Potts."_

"I know this looks like a lot," Caroline tells her as she starts unloading everything. "But I figured if Doctor Banner was around, he'd be hungry, too, since Mr. Stark said he rarely leaves his lab."

Before Pepper can open her mouth to retort, JARVIS is interrupting as politely as possible.  _"If I may, Ms. Potts, Doctor Banner is also on his way up with Sir."_

As soon as those words are out, the elevator dings open and the rambunctious voice of Tony speaking to someone else can be heard. Caroline and Pepper share a look, both women shrugging before Caroline passes her the salad.

"It also came with a cranberry vinaigrette," she says as she passes over the packet. "Not sure if you'll like it but I do. It's great."

Pepper takes it, and Tony's plopping himself on the stool next to her. "What's for lunch, Potts Junior?"

Lips twitching in amusement, Caroline holds her hands out towards the items littering the bar top as if showcasing them. "Panera. You have a choice of Chipotle Chicken Panini, Smoked Ham and Swiss sandwich, a Roasted Turkey and Avocado BLT, a Cream of Chicken and Wild Rice soup, or Tortellini Alfredo. Doctor Banner, you're more than welcome to join," she tells him as she sees him starting to head towards the refrigerator.

Caroline pulls her sandwich towards herself, Tony eyeing everything before declaring he'd take the smoked ham and swiss, and tortellini alfredo. She pushes both items towards him as Pepper suddenly stands declaring she's getting drinks from the refrigerator, Caroline then turning her smile towards Doctor Banner who sighed and walked towards the bar to join them. "What will it be, Doc?"

"Turkey and avocado BLT, please. And can I try some of that soup?"

"Sure thing."

Caroline passes along the items Doctor Banner requested, Tony smirking at how at ease his newest employee is around the man. Apparently, she's been a great asset to Stark Industries, relieving Pepper of duties she didn't really need, and only hopes she stays this kind and welcoming when Bruce eventually has an accident and she sees him for who he truly is.

Very quickly, he's knocked out of his mental musings when he bites into his sandwich and stuffs some pasta into his mouth, he groaning around the flavors exploding on his tongue. "Oh, God. How have I never had this before?"

"Because you always order Shawarma," Pepper tells him, dropping a kiss on his cheek before passing out bottled waters. "Is it really that good?"

"Mhm," Tony grumbles as he takes a gigantic bite from his sandwich. Caroline can only laugh at his appreciation, she biting into her own sandwich. Both Pepper and Bruce also seem surprised at how good the food actually is, the both of them mumbling their  _thanks_ to the younger blonde. "You know, Pep, I'd be more willing to leave the lab everyday if we started having this for lunch."

Her eyes light up at the thought of getting her workaholic boyfriend out of the lab more and Caroline speaks before Pepper can. "I'll start bringing it in, if you want." Pepper and Tony both turn to Caroline, Bruce watching them as he eats his soup. "It's not much trouble as long as I place the order ahead of time before I leave my apartment."

Tony eagerly nods, Bruce actually chuckles at his friend's enthusiasm, and Pepper frowns. "You don't have to subject yourself to that, Caroline. I'm already looking for an assistant to put up with Tony's behavior. He or she can pick up his lunch," she assures her.

But Caroline only shrugs. "No, really, it's fine. Event coordinating is a bit slow, anyway, and I don't necessarily have to work from my office. Tony's attitude doesn't bother me at all and even if he were to suddenly become a raging ass- a raging meanie," she corrects herself as Tony snorts and Pepper's lips twitch in amusement. "-I can take what he dishes out. Trust me. And at least this way, you'll know he's eating because once I put my mind to something, I get it done."

The confident glint in Caroline's eyes combined with the woman's no nonsense attitude already has Pepper wavering. But before she can make the final decision, Tony makes it for her.

"It is done! Forbes brings in lunch, and Brucie and I will leave the lab."

Pepper weakly tries to protest but Caroline assures her that it's fine. Really, it is. It's nothing she can't handle.

So after all that's squared away, the foursome continue their lunch with Tony now leading the chat by asking Caroline if she has any plans for Thanksgiving. She tells him that she and her mother were supposed to head back to Mystic Falls to celebrate with friends-

_"You have friends?!"_

-but Liz wasn't feeling up to it so they were staying in.

Tony's still gaping at her, mumbling about friends, and not believing that little Miss Caroline Forbes who's constantly working actually has them.

So with a roll of her eyes, she pulls out her personal cell phone and immediately goes to her photos. "This is Bonnie," she says as she turns the phone for the other three to see. "She's currently the female bee-eff-eff. And this," she swipes to the left. "-this is Stefan." She smiles briefly, swiping to yet another picture of herself and Stefan. "He's the male bee-eff-eff."

"You're warm for his form, aren't you?"

Caroline snorts so hard that Tony ends up cackling, Pepper having to slap his back when he ends up choking on his sandwich.

"I am not warm for his form," Caroline manages to say without giggling like an idiot. "We're just really good friends."

"Yeah, yeah," Tony waves her off. "I want to see more."

"Whatever. What the boss man wants, the boss man gets." She pauses before finding the next picture she wants to show them, she hearing Tony murmuring to Pepper about Caroline having the right train of thought- what he wants, he gets- and that more people should think that way. There's a small  _thwack!_ and Caroline's quick to land on the next picture. "This is Elena. Former best friend but still friend, I think, and Stefan's ex."

"You think?" Pepper frowns.

"Uh, yeah. She and her boyfriend weren't too happy that my mom and I were moving. We left on bad terms," she shrugs and finds another picture. "This is Damon; ex-boyfriend number one, Elena's current boyfriend, and Stefan's brother."

"Yeesh," Tony grimaces. "Are these brother's good or bed in something? That Elena girl dated both, you dated one and are now after the other?"

"I'm not after the other," she grumbles and moves on. "This is Matt," she shows them the last picture. "Ex-boyfriend number two. We're still really great friends, though," she tells her audience. "And, uh, this was Elena's first ex as well."

Pepper's mouth forms a small 'o', Bruce is just plain confused, and Tony's slowly piecing it all together before he's smirking. "Wow. You all basically dated each other."

"Not all of us," Caroline wrinkles her nose. "Bonnie dated none of the boys and at one point, she actually hated all of us except for Matt. Matt's too adorable to hate."

"Mystic Falls just sounds like too much drama," Tony shakes his head. "I'm glad you got out of there, kid."

"Yeah, me too."

* * *

For the next couple of days, Caroline brings in food from Panera when she comes into work. She has her own food left in the smaller communal kitchen on her floor where her office resides, and takes the rest up to the Communal floor where the Avengers supposedly assembled, JARVIS calling for Stark and Banner.

Both men keep up for about a week with leaving the lab and then they both fall into old habits and refuse to leave because  _Science!_

So the day after that, Caroline's quite shocked yet pleased to know that she now has access to their labs, JARVIS taking her straight there when the men refuse to leave for nourishment. Her senses still warn her about Bruce so she manhandles Tony first, grabbing him by the back of his shirt and tugging him away from his work.

" _Bruce. Brucie! The Force is strong within this one. Help!"_

Bruce had watched as the tiny blonde manhandled his friend into the hall, she then narrowing her eyes on him.  _"You going to make me drag you out, too, Doctor Banner?"_ And not being one who liked to be touched, Bruce made the smart decision and followed as Tony grumbled about Forbes being freakishly strong for a tiny thing.

She only has to manhandle him three days into the elevator before he finally gets the message, he showing up like a trained puppy when she came in with lunch.

Pepper was so impressed with her work- not only with her official work but her work with wrangling Tony- that she gives Caroline an early raise and asks if she doesn't mind keeping it up.

Caroline accepts. After all, manhandling her boss and getting away with it? Well, this was probably the best job Caroline can and would ever have.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So someone pointed out that Pepper is a bit OOC what with her fast friendship with Caroline and I KNOW! I apologize. In case you haven't noticed, I'm not one to write a slow burn. I get impatient and everything I write is fast paced. So again, I apologize for that mistake of having them friendly so fast.
> 
> Leave your thoughts and comments in a review! Please? :)


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Caroline's outfit: [polyvore](http://www.polyvore.com/fault_in_their_stars/set?id=141050297)

Caroline finally meets Steve Rogers in December.

She had been waiting for Bruce and Tony to come up for lunch so she could get started on her coordinating for the day but the two never showed. So after ten minutes of working from her phone in the kitchen on the Communal floor, Caroline stomped to the elevator and had JARVIS whisk her away to the labs.

She was so annoyed by Tony and Bruce that she wasn't using her enhanced senses at all and barged right on in, yelling at both men about their eating habits. Tony and Bruce had frozen, the both of them watching as Caroline huffed and puffed before Tony slowly smirked.

"Little Bit, I believe you have yet been introduced to Captain America," he tells her before pointing over her shoulder. Caroline tenses and she knows her face must look something ridiculous because Bruce suddenly can't hide his smile. "Steve, meet Little Bit. She belongs to Pepper but we share and play nice."

Caroline gulps and slowly turns, her sluggish heart beating even faster at Tall, Blonde, and Muscles. Steve Rogers is even bigger in person and her knees might have gone a little weak at his sheepish smile.

"H-hi," she manages to squeak and his smile just blossoms.

"Oh, God," Tony groans. "Don't tell me you're a fangirl?!"

And before Steve can greet the small blonde, she whirls on Tony and chases him around the lab before he gets smart and sprints for the elevator. Just when the men think Tony's in the clear and the doors will close before Caroline gets there, she  _pushes_ herself a little faster and launches herself into the lift.

The last thing they hear is Tony yelping and a muffled,  _"I'm your boss; you can't do that! I'm telling Pepper."_

"Are- are they always like that," Steve asks, clearly amused at the tiny girl that just made Stark run for his life.

"That's actually a new development," Bruce admits. "She's only been working here since about a week before Halloween. Ms. Potts and Tony took to her rather fast and well, I can't blame them," he says as he starts cleaning up. "There's something about her though- something that has the Other Guy wary but as far as I can tell, she's a good kid."

Steve thinks over his teammate's words, frowning but then following Bruce when he mentions food up on the Communal floor.

* * *

The second time Steve and Caroline meet, she's only just coming in to work.

She didn't have to pick up anyone their lunch- they started having her just place a call once she got in and having her switch it up every now and then before it's delivered to the Tower- but she looks a bit worn down. From what Steve's heard, she's usually upbeat and always smiling but now, she's dressed down for someone who works at Stark Industries.

Black and white converse adorn her feet rather than the heels nearly every female who works at Stark Industries wear. Dark gray jeans cover her legs and he can make out a light gray v-neck beneath a buttoned blazer with it's sleeves pushed up to mid-forearm. Her hair is in disheveled waves framing her face and a white styrofoam cup with a black straw is clutched to her chest rather protectively.

"Ma'am," he greets when she finally spots him heading to the same elevator as her.

"Mr. Rogers." She tries to smile but he can see how tired she truly is when he's up close, the dark bags beneath her eyes now sticking out.

"Steve," he quickly corrects her, clearing his throat. "Uh, call me Steve."

Her tired smile blossoms into a genuine smile now, her eyes slightly crinkling in the corner. "Only if you call me Caroline."

He happily returns the smile, waiting for the elevator side-by-side with her and he can't find a reason why this girl would rub Bruce's alter ego the wrong way, but he's definitely curious about her now.

When the elevator finally opens up for them, he generously steps aside for her to enter first and then steps in behind her. He notices she presses the button for the Communal floor and watches as she steps back to lean against the wall and sighs.

"So, Steve, what do you feel like for lunch?"

She sips from her drink and then pulls her phone out from her pocket, scrolling through the various food joints she now had saved in there. She tries to hide a yawn behind her hand clutching her drink but Steve still sees it.

"It's, uh, it's fine," he tells her. "You look beat; I'll take care of lunch for the guys today."

"Captain America cooks? Wow, I really need to see that. And I'm fine. It's no biggie."

Since her eyes are glued to her phone, she doesn't see when Steve frowns. "You look ready to drop. And Captain America saves the world; Steve Rogers cooks."

The way he states it- the way she can practically hear his scowl- has her head snapping up, eyes wide as if asking for forgiveness. "No, I didn't.. I mean.. ugh," she sighs with a scowl of her own though it's not directed at him. "Why is this so hard!"

The doors open just as Caroline gives a little stomp of her foot, Steve's lips twitching in amusement against his better judgment. "I- I- oh hell, I'm just going to be honest with you." She turns towards him, Steve angling himself towards her as well before his throws his arm out to stop the elevator from closing on them. "I  _am_  a fan of the whole red, white, and blue identity," Caroline tells him. "But I'm not one of  _those_ fans who's going to giggle and throw myself at you. I'm more of the type of to make an ass out of myself and walk away in shame so please don't take it the wrong way when I call you Captain America instead of Steve. It's going to take a while for me to wrap my mind around the fact I'm on a first name basis with the man beneath the cowl, you know?"

His lips twitch as he tries to come up with an answer. "Um. Yes?"

"Don't laugh at me!"

"I"m not," he says even as his smile betrays him. The two finally step out of the elevator only to stop in their tracks seconds later.

"Well if he's not, I will," Tony suddenly muses, stepping around the wall from where he'd been in the kitchen eavesdropping. He's smirking rather smugly, eyes sparkling in amusement before he's suddenly serious and lightly glaring at Caroline. "What are you doing here, Forbes?"

"Working. Something that you should be doing, Stark."

He shakes his head. "Nope. You just got home from the hospital mere hours ago; you shouldn't be working."

"Hospital," Steve pipes up, intrigued. "Why were you at the hospital? Is something wrong?"

"Not anymore," Caroline answers Steve first a bit distractedly then turns back to Tony. "And how'd you even know I was there?"

"Please," the man in question scoffs. "Did you really think I wasn't going to keep an eye on you? Pepper adores you, I- I  _tolerate_  you," he rolls his eyes though Caroline can detect the lie about his part. He totally adored her as well; she knew it. "-so we had JARVIS alert us should either you or your mother be admitted into any hospital databases. We know you took her to the emergency room so spill, Forbes. I might have you tracked for emergencies but I won't invade your privacy that much unless the situation calls for it."

Caroline glares at him- her glare not being as heated as she wanted it- and lets her shoulders fall in defeat. "She's fine. She's back home with extra oxygen tanks now. She wasn't getting enough oxygen at first so they just had to up her dosage."

"What's wrong with her, if you don't mind me asking," Steve asks as Tony eyes Caroline up and down to make sure she's telling the truth.

Caroline turns once again to Steve, lips pursed as she contemplates whether or not to tell him. But seeing as he'll be sticking around and Tony's a worse gossip than Caroline herself, she lets him in on her personal life. "Mom has cancer. Docs don't think she has very long now."

Steve blinks once.. twice.. and then shakes himself clear of the news. "I'm so sorry. I didn't- Is there anything I can do?"

She smiles sadly at his willingness to help and shakes her head. "Thank you but no. Mom's decided to let it go and enjoy what little time she has left."

"Then that settles it," Tony claps his hands. "Take the day off. Catch some Z's in your office or go home. You don't need to be working today."

"What?! No," she frantically tells him, blonde waves being jostled as she shakes her head. "I need to keep myself busy or I'm going to go crazy. I need- I need to be here. I need-"

"Okay.. okay," Steve cuts her off, hands gripping her biceps lightly in her mini-freak out. "You can stay here but you need to get some rest. Sleep now, work later." He's standing behind her but his gaze is going over her head and locking with Tony's.

"Yeah, sure," Stark agrees. "Stay here, catch a quick nap, then work. But if Pepper asks, I told you to go home."

Caroline numbly nods, she quickly blinking away all tears that she can feel forming. Steve is quick to steer her back into the elevator, Tony waving them off as the doors close behind them.

"JARVIS, can you take us to Caroline's office, please?"

" _Of course, Mr. Rogers."_

"Thank you."

The elevator ride is short, the doors opening moments later on a floor Steve had never been on. And when he has to nudge Caroline to walk, he ends up steering her yet again down the hall and towards the office where he can clearly make her name out on the door.

"You know," she mumbles. "I'm letting you push me. I can easily get away if I wanted to." And she could, she really could but she wasn't going to actually prove it.

"I'm sure you can," he chuckles.

She opens the door to her office and won't even look at the couch in there but then Steve's grip tightens around her arms when she tries to make a beeline for her desk. "Fine.. fine," she mutters. "I'm starting to think Captain America's not so nice."

He snorts but instead of feeling a pang of annoyance at her calling him Captain America like earlier, he's a bit amused. "Why? Because I'm actually trying to make sure you're okay?"

She weakly grins in return, dropping her cellphone atop the small table next to her couch and gently placing her drink down. "I'm not as fragile as I look, Mr. Rogers. I'll be fine."

And for some reason, he believes her. There was an aura about Caroline Forbes that oozed mystery yet confidence and he couldn't help but believe every word that left her mouth. So after a few moments of lingering by her open office door, he nods and starts backing out of her space.

"I'll just- I'll be going now. Finish that smoothie or whatever it is you're drinking and get some rest."

Caroline mock salutes him, chuckling as he rolls his eyes in mock exasperation and closes the door behind him on his way out.

Pushing her hair behind her ears, Caroline listens as Steve's footsteps get further and further, and listens as the soft whoosh of the elevator doors open and whisk the man away. With the early morning drama of waking up to Mom struggling to breathe, Caroline had rushed the both of them to the E.R without giving it much thought. And it wasn't until she was fighting her hunger that she realized what a mistake that had been.

So while her Mom was being looked over, she excused herself from the room and to the nearest vending machine to purchase the most saltiest snack she could find to stave off the hunger of blood since she didn't want to compel anyone so close to her home.

By the time they'd gotten home and Liz settled in, Caroline had only minutes to shower and dress for work hence the crappy outfit she'd thrown together. She couldn't exactly suck down on a blood bag in public so she dumped it into a styrofoam cup and covered it, pushing a black straw in so no-one would see the redness of her drink when she eventually sipped from it.

And now that she was alone, she picks her drink back up and eagerly sucks down what she was suddenly craving again. The rustic taste of blood explodes on her tongue and in a brief lapse of control, her fangs slip out and the veins beneath her eyes pulse uncontrollably.

Smoothie? Pft. If only Steve could see her now.

* * *

Surprisingly, a couple days later, Caroline bounces back right away. She had taken the day off like Tony suggested, only being woken up hours later by Pepper who had dropped in to check in on her.

They made small talk before Pepper told Caroline to go home and rest up, and that she could get back to work the following day. Only when Caroline left, she quickly checked in on her mom to make sure she was doing fine before leaving once more.

She hadn't given in to the darkness and started viciously feeding again but she did drive until she found a large bookstore and purchased book after book that were all cancer related. It was a bit late in the game to read up on it but it was better to prepare herself for the heartbreak that was sure to come quite soon by reading other people's stories of grief and then finding happiness afterward.

She then read when she wasn't busy, whether it be in the privacy of her room or in the privacy of her office after she'd finished her work for the day, which is where Pepper finds her when she headed on down to Caroline's office to ask how everything was coming along.

Her office door is wide open, Pepper not bothering to knock on the window panes along either side of the door when she hears Caroline's muffled sobbing. Her eyes widen in shock and her heart speeds up at the thought of something gone terribly wrong but when she rushes into Caroline's office, Caroline is sitting rather comfortably on her couch with a book in her lap.

"Caroline," Pepper calls out softly. "A- are you okay?"

Her head snaps up, mascara running down her cheeks as she shakily holds up the book so Pepper can see the blue, black, and white cover of  _The Fault In Our Stars._ "I am most certainly not okay," she cries. "I was only looking for cancer books to help ease the transition when my Mom passes only the clerk suggested this one atop of everything I already had. It's horrible, Ms. Potts. So, so horrible. Why would she have suggested it?!"

Pepper eyes the book, a vague memory of seeing the book somewhere before but never having read it. She does know, however, that it was so popular that it had been made into a movie. "That good, huh," she says instead.

"So good.. but so horrible. Oh, God!"

Finally, Pepper manages a small grin as she strides forward and takes a seat next to Caroline. "I guess I'll just have to read it now."

The younger blonde nods frantically, slipping the book into Pepper's lap. "Take it. I just finished it."

* * *

In the midst of making sure the Christmas decorations were correct, making sure the band was booked, and making sure her mother was doing fine, Caroline nearly forgot about one of the most important things for the event.

The food.

Tony hadn't cared about the food, only trailing after Caroline to make sure she stocked up on all the good liquor for the night. So when Caroline found Pepper having some down time, the two quickly brainstormed dinner ideas and settled with having a choice between Filet Mignon w/ a rich balsamic glaze, steamed asparagus, and red baby potatoes or Roasted Rosemary Citrus chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, and green beans.

But when it came down to desserts, Pepper had only shrugged and went back to work, leaving Caroline to figure that all out on her own. She had known her favorites but didn't want to subject everyone at a Stark event to just pie so she sought out someone else who'd be there.

Steve.

"JARVIS," Caroline calls out, hip cocked to the side as she stood in front of her white erase board and staring at the crude drawing of Iron Man that Tony somehow managed to sneak in and draw. "Is Steve in the building?"

" _He is, Miss Caroline."_

"Is he busy?"

" _He's not doing anything that would keep him from coming should you call. Would you like me to send him down?"_

"Uh, no, that's fine," she says, erasing the little Iron Man on her board and drawing the Captain's shield just to annoy Tony the next time he broke in. "Am I allowed to go to him on whatever floor he's on?"

" _The gym floor is a personal floor but since Sir has upped your clearance level, you are now allowed."_

Clearance level? Huh. "Okay, thanks, JARVIS. I'll just head up there myself."

" _As you wish, Miss Caroline."_

Caroline can't help but beam at the AI's words, she setting down her markers and then swooping up her Stark tablet with the Christmas event's menu on display before heading for the elevator at the end of the hall. And once in the elevator, Caroline realizes she doesn't exactly know what floor the gym is on but JARVIS saves the day as he takes her there upon request.

The entire floor is a gym, the elevators opening up to the expanse room. It looks like an average gym with dark beige walls, just less packed with machinery, weights, mirrors, and people who were way too obsessed about their muscles. There's three of every type of workout machine available lined up along the left side of the gym, a boxing ring off to the right of the room, a rack of weights and a few bench presses, and then several punching bags- one of which Steve just so happens to be pummeling.

He's wearing sweatpants and a white tee- said tee nearly soaked through with sweat. He's positioned so that he's facing her but he's so caught up in throwing punch after punch that he doesn't see her. She walks closer still, grinning at his concentration but a moment later, she wishes she had announced her presence.

With one well aimed angry punch, the bag rips from it's hook and sails towards her. She barely manages to avoid it, eyes wide at the mistake of her using her vampire speed to avoid being hit. And when she turns to glance at Steve, his head is tilted curiously to the side.

"How did you-"

"Dessert," she's quick to cut him off. "What's your favorite?"

"But how did you-"

"Cat-like reflexes, Steve. I have some defense training," she easily lies. "Now dessert; cookies or more pie?"

He continues to stare at her rather curiously because he swore her body blurred for a split second but the way she's at ease around him, and grinning, it's like nothing's wrong. Maybe he'd imagined it.

Seeing Caroline take a seat on one of the benches for the bench press, he follows and picks up his towel along way to soak up the sweat. "What kind of pie are you getting?"

"I'm thinking apple and blueberry," she muses, typing on her tablet. "I need dessert options but Pepper left me all on my lonesome. Tony's only worried about his alcohol and the only other person that I know for sure is attending is you so.. dessert. What do you want?"

"I'm fine with pie."

"Steve," she groans. "Come on, you have to help me out here!"

"You're the coordinator," he chuckles. "Get whatever you want." She groans some more, clenching her jaw in annoyance and glaring at him until he caves. "Okay.. okay. Well, what about cookies? Are children attending?"

"The invite didn't ban them," she shrugs as she starts thinking about children. "And it is Christmas so what are the odds that couples are going to leave their children behind?"

"Uh, you better think about what the children might want instead of pleasing the adults."

She crosses one leg over the other, setting her tablet atop her knee as she furiously types away. "Sugar cookies and lemon bars for sure. Lemon bars with raspberry swirl are delicious. Peanut butter cookies or chocolate chip?"

"Chocolate chip," he states immediately. "It's always safe to stick with the classics."

She doesn't look up from her tablet but he does see the grin he causes lift the corners of her lips. And as quickly as she appeared in the gym, she's quickly taking her leave with a smile thrown his way over his shoulder. "Thanks, Steve. I'll see you later!"

* * *

With the big Christmas event less than two weeks away, Tony needed to know if Caroline got the drinks he requested. Events like this really weren't his forte with everyone being so cheerful and jolly so he knew he needed to have lots of alcohol on hand if he was going to survive the night.

Only when he went looking for Caroline, she wasn't in her office. Nor was she in Pepper's when he decided to check there because he knew how close the two women were. In fact, Pepper wasn't in her office either.

So after a quick search of the building via JARVIS, he found out both of them were on the communal floor in the midst of a discussion. And not bothering to have JARVIS elaborate on what their discussion entailed, he rode the elevator up to the floor and stepped out.

He'd only made it a few steps before the tell-tale sign of  _sniffling_ reached is ears.

"How dare you," Pepper's trembling voice pipes up, making Tony's freeze mid-step. "How dare you let me fall in love with Augustus Waters only for it to end the way it did!"

And what? Who the hell was Augustus Waters?!

Tony creeps along the wall, Caroline's own trembling voice answering. "I'm sorry but I told you! It was good yet oh so horrible."

He peeks around the corner only to find Caroline and Pepper seated at the bar, Pepper clutching a book to her chest as she continued to babble back and forth with Caroline while pointing and prodding at said book.

They were crying over a damn book!

When their voices started getting even more squeakier, he takes that as his cue to back off unless they spot him and drag him into their discussion. There are just some things no man should have to be subjected to, and a book that his girlfriend and her little prodigy were in tears over was one of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, uh, yeah. I don't really like this chapter but here it is.
> 
> Coming up.. shots are fired, lives are threatened, and Caroline outs herself.
> 
> I have yet to see the movie of "The Fault in Our Stars" but I have read the book recently hence the reason for it being in this fic XD I couldn't stop thinking about it and don't worry, they'll get one more person hooked on it ;)


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter set:[polyvore](http://www.polyvore.com/secret_no_more/set?id=141364379)**

*

Caroline sighs happily as she falls back into the sofa with her Mom, she and Liz having just come back from their routine weekend lunch. Liz chuckles happily, reaching for the remote while keeping her oxygen tube out of the way so she doesn't yank on it, and sits back with a smile on her face.

Days like this are why Caroline doesn't put too much stock into what the Doctors say- her mother looking far too content for a women who has less than a month to live. Hell, if they were to go by a Doctor's word, then Liz is a year overdue for death since she surpassed the last Doctor's assumption of how long she had.

Caroline had just stripped out of her black cardigan, leaving her in a black bandage crop top and a black kimono skirt when a knock sounds on their apartment door. Her head snaps in that direction, head tilted to the side as she hones in her hearing to listen if their guest would give away a sign as to who they were. But lo and behold, she doesn't have to depend on her vampire senses when Liz turns to her, a sheepish yet guilty smile in place.

"I'm sorry but she was really persistent that she visit."

And that- that has Caroline's sluggish heart beat speeding up as yet another knock sounds. "Who was persistent," her eyes narrow in accusation.

"Tonny."

Tonny also known as Tonya or as Caroline used to call her,  _Aunt Tonny._ She's the only sister of her late father, and the only person to push her father away after he came out of the closet and left his family. Even after Bill mended bridges with Caroline and Liz, Tonny still treated her brother like scum and to this day, continues to bad mouth as he lies six feet under.

"Why," Caroline dramatically groans. "Why would you invite her over? You know we don't get along."

"She wanted to visit," Liz tries to smother a grin but fails miserably. "Now go answer the door before she thinks we're ignoring her. You know how she gets."

Caroline huffs dramatically, scowling at her mother for laughing at her pain before flashing over to the door. She gives herself a moment as she continues to listen to her mom's stifled giggling before pasting on her most welcoming smile, and opens the door.

"Tonya," she greets sweetly, teeth full on display with how wide her smile is. "Mom didn't tell me you were stopping by."

She nearly looks the same as when Caroline last saw her, her hair still puffy in her over the top waves. The only difference she can make out is that time certainly hasn't been pleasant to Tonya, the wrinkles around her eyes, mouth, and even neck being something new.

"Well that's because I wasn't sure I was going to make it, dear," she says just as sweetly, stepping into their home and planting a kiss to each of Caroline's cheeks. Caroline can only roll her eyes in response when her aunt can't see, becoming chipper a second later as Tonya pulls back. "Where is she anyway?"

"Just that way," Caroline says, pointing in her mother's direction. "I'll be in in just a sec. Would you like anything to drink?"

"No, dear, I'm fine."

Caroline has to grit her teeth to keep from making any face that would tip off her aunt to her annoyance at her appearance, and rushes to the kitchen a moment later when her aunt greets her mother in the other room. Tonya might have refused a drink now but there was no telling how long she'd stay and there were still blood bags in the refrigerator that needed to be hidden.

So after making sure to hide them really well, Caroline heads back into the sitting room where Tonya is fretting over her mother.

She only lasts a few minutes of listening to her aunt go on and on about her life traveling the different countries before she can't take it anymore, she already digging her phone out of her pocket from her cardigan where it lay next to her. As Tonya is busy speaking with Liz, Caroline carefully unlocks her phone and starts scrolling through her contacts.

Starting a phone or text conversation is just plain rude so she doesn't do that. But she does let ideas run wild through her mind about how she can get out of the apartment while her aunt's there, and it takes a moment for the perfect idea to hit her.

A work emergency.

A work emergency can get her out of the apartment and away from her aunt without seeming too rude but as she thinks about it, she's not sure if she's even allowed in the building on the weekend. Hell, she's not even sure if Pepper or Tony are in the building during the weekend, but with this being her only salvation, she gives it a shot and texts Tony since he'd be the most likely to not be working on the weekend.

_**Caroline:**  Is Mr. Stark busy this afternoon?_

And not even a minute later, her phone lights up with his reply.

_**Stark:**  Are you trying to be funny? It's Saturday._

_**Caroline:**  So does that mean my favorite boss can do me a favor and fake a work emergency to get me out of the situation I'm currently in?_

Her knee bounces nervously as she waits for his reply, discretely trying to keep her phone hidden as the seconds turn into minutes before her phone lights up. But this time, instead of a text, it's a phone call.

Tony's smarmy grin greets her from the screen, indicating he's the one calling and Caroline can only look up at her mother apologetically a second later when his ringtone blares to life. "Sorry. Work." She quickly stands and rushes towards the corner of the room, answering her phone with a professional, "Caroline Forbes speaking."

" _Favorite boss, huh? Would you mind making that into a plaque for me to prove it?"_

"Oh, no.. no," Caroline fakes concern. "I specifically wrote in two hundred and fifty! Not..," she pauses for a moment, eyes darting frantically from side to side as Tony laughs on the line. "Yes, I understand, sir."

Tonya is staring at Caroline with one perfectly sculpted eyebrow arched and Liz is fighting to keep a smile from blossoming. She definitely knows what her daughter is up to since she knows for a fact that Ms. Potts and Mr. Stark were adamant about Caroline having the weekend off to spend with her.

" _Wow,"_  Tony whistles with a deep chuckle.  _"You must really want an out."_

"Of course!"

" _Then come on over, Little Bit. I'm introducing Steve to things he's missed when he was a popsicle. Pepper should be up soon."_

"Mhm. I understand. I'll be in as soon as I can to fix things." There's more laughter on the line as Caroline hangs up on him, turning an apologetic smile to her mother and aunt. "That was Mr. Stark. Apparently, there was a mix-up in numbers for the Christmas event. I really have to go."

"M-Mr. Stark," Tonya splutters just as Liz nods in understanding.

"Of course, sweetie."

Caroline smiles gratefully at her mom and then turns to her aunt. "Mom can fill you in on where I work and what I do. I really must be going."

She's quick to pick up her cardigan and slip it on, dropping her phone into her pocket and rushing out the door.

Tony Stark was a life savior.

**xXx. XxX. xXx**

Caroline makes it to Tower in record time, her wedge sandals not slowing her down one bit.

Once in the elevator, she readily looks towards the ceiling and asks JARVIS where Steve and Tony are. He tells her, he then taking her to the Communal floor a second later and wishes Caroline a good day as she's walking off and onto the floor.

She walks in just as Tony's telling Steve about Star Wars and Star Trek, two entirely different things but two equally important movies that he had to watch some time soon. Steve nods very seriously, jotting down the titles of whatever Tony's supplying him with in a little notebook.

"Really, Stark? Star Wars and Star Trek," she asks him incredulously before turning her gaze on Steve. "And shouldn't you be worried more about the history you missed instead of nerd movies?"

"Star Wars _is_  history," Tony hisses before letting his scowl smooth out.

"The people I work for have a tutor to teach me all this history I've missed out on," Steve shrugs with a small grin. "They said it was up to me to learn everything else."

"If you so say," she replies. "If Tony's making suggestions, I suggest you watch  _I Love Lucy._ It's a classic." Tony scoffs and Caroline glares at him but Steve writes it down nonetheless.

As Caroline makes her way further into the room, she slips off her sandals with a happy sigh and settles down in one of the available armchairs. "So tell me, Forbes," Tony drawls. "Why'd you run away from home?"

Caroline scowls and rolls her eyes, both men immediately intrigued. Not once since they've known Caroline have they seen her show disgust or annoyance with anything. "My aunt," she grumbles. "She's my dad's older sister and the only one in their family to shun my Dad when he- when he came out of the closet," she admits nervously. Tony suddenly grins, leaning forward to know more and Steve's eyebrows climb upward. "He, uh, he left his family for another man and his sister hated him for it. But his boyfriend was really sweet," she quickly defends. "And even after my dad passed, my aunt continued to bad mouth him and I just don't like being in her presence."

Steve is absolutely speechless and Tony whistles lowly. "Wow. I thought Mystic Falls' high school drama was bad but your aunt kind of takes the cake."

"Tell me about it," Caroline sighs. She glances around the room, taking in how comfortable the men are before voicing the question that suddenly popped up in her mind. "Where's Bruce? Didn't you say he practically lived here?"

"He does," Tony answers. "But he had a scientist meeting halfway around the world."

"Lucky him."

Caroline quickly gets comfortable, curling her legs beneath her while making sure her skirt is covering everything that should be covered, and she listens in on Tony telling Steve what he should and shouldn't look up on the internet. Of course, Tony tries to play it smooth and lead Steve to sites that would make Caroline blush so she's quick to intervene and scold him, assuring Steve he was better without visiting the adult sites.

Pepper soon joins them, a bit shocked to see Caroline there but happy nonetheless. The two get to talking and though Caroline only showed up to get away from her aunt, there actually is some work to be done if Pepper didn't mind her working.

She didn't, of course, have a problem with Caroline working as long as Caroline brought her work up to the communal floor so she could work in comfort and they can go over everything one last time before the party.

So there Caroline sat, after texting her mother she actually  _did_ have work to do, and had Pepper take a pic of her on her phone so Liz could see the laptop in her daughter's lap as well as the numerous papers and folders lying about. Of course, when Caroline sent the text, she told her mother to ignore the mongrel behind her (Tony throwing up the peace sign with a very cheesy smile) and that she'd be home soon.

Liz had laughed and told her it was fine, that Tonny had apparently kicked off her shoes and would be there for a while as well, so there was no need to rush back. And knowing that her mother had company for a while allowed Caroline to relax further and take Pepper up on her offer of a glass of red wine.

Caroline had given Tony, Pepper, and Steve the run down of the events at the Christmas party; the place where the paparazzi were allowed and weren't, who was giving speeches and when, when the food was arriving, when the bar was opening up, and the song selection that she had given the band.

It had surprisingly taken a little over two hours to get everything out and answer any questions they might have had but in the end, the trio were quite impressed with the details Caroline was giving them. They were glad to know she had everything locked down, and then Steve and Pepper happily listened as Tony and Caroline argued over music.

On Caroline and Pepper's third glass of wine, Caroline and Tony are still bantering over which Christmas songs are better and which versions would be more enjoyable to hear. Steve and Pepper watch on in fascination, Caroline holding her own against Tony and laughing while at it. Even Tony seems to be enjoying the back and forth, something in which Tony rarely does with new people.

But, of course, anyone connected to the Avengers or Caroline never have the best of luck. It eventually runs out and when it does, it does so in the most unbelievable of ways.

Caroline's head had just fallen back with laughter at Tony's sass, the glass window that gave off an amazing view of the city shattering a second later. Tony and Steve both cover the women on instinct and don't catch the three men in black tactical gear and face coverings rappelling into the building. When they are spotted though, Tony and Steve jump to their feet only for Steve to fall back down onto the sofa when a syringe full of only God knows what hits him in the chest.

"JARV-"

A shot rings out, the bullet hitting Tony in the thigh as one of the men step forward. "Not so fast, Mr. Stark," a menacing voice threatens. "You even attempt to call a suit or your AI sends out for help then the two pretty blondes each get a bullet right between the eyes."

Tony glares as the other two men suddenly train their weapons on Pepper and Caroline, Pepper whimpering as she looks worriedly at Tony's bleeding leg and Caroline scrambling over to Steve, pulling free an empty syringe from the Cap's chest as he wheezes in pain. She wants to badly to help but but before Caroline can even form a plan, the elevator dings open and three more men in tactical clothing exit- one of them with some fancy keyboard and wires plugged into the elevator's electrical panel.

Apparently, these men were smart if they infiltrated Stark Tower and by the looks of it, bypassed JARVIS.

Several men gather around Steve while pushing Caroline aside and immediately start pummeling him, the others keeping their weapons trained and ready to fire on Pepper, Tony, and Caroline. Whatever they had injected into Steve, it severely weakened him and left him completely defenseless against the punch and kicks.

"Stop. Stop it!" Caroline finally yells, eyes welling up with tears as she tries to get to Steve. The long barrels of the assault rifles press into her flesh as they push her back, the men start shouting, and Pepper's whimpering for her to just not interfere. "He's not fighting back. What more do you want?!"

"What we want is for you to shut-up," one of the men snarls.

He nods at someone over Caroline's shoulder, she feeling a sharp sting in the middle of her back. Tony yells, Pepper yelps, and Caroline gasps at the sensation. Her mind goes fuzzy and she immediately thinks this is what they shot Steve with but she's not dropping like he did. She stumbles a few steps, her breath stuttering but she stands her ground before trying to shake her head clear.

Pepper and Tony watch on in confusion, the masked men all fidgeting nervously seeing as Caroline's still standing on her own two feet and glaring at everyone surrounding her.

"What are you?" someone asks but his companion doesn't wait for an answer.

Instead, another man steps up to her and pulls out a handgun from the waistband of his pants, Caroline not registering that there's a gun barrel square between her eyes but the last thing Caroline remembers before the loud  _bang_ is Pepper screaming.

"NO!" Tears already streaming down her face, Pepper's forced to watch as Caroline crumples to the floor, a pool of blood blossoming beneath her head.

**xXx. XxX. xXx**

Caroline doesn't know how long she's been out but when she comes to, everyone is still there. Pepper's still crying, Tony's vowing vengeance, and Steve's still receiving one hell of beating while trying to engage his attackers in a conversation to figure out what the hell they did to him.

She's itching to do something, her anger bubbling up but she can't give herself away just yet. She's also just really grateful that she landed face down so no-one can see the now healed bullet wound. Her breathing remains very shallow as to not alert anyone to her newly reinstated life and she keeps her hearing trained on all the noises going on around her.

"Why.. why are you doing this," she hears Steve rasp.

"Because you're Captain America," a man answers. "Well, Steve Rogers now," he gloats. "How do you like our handy serum, Mr. Rogers? It counteracts the enhancements that the super soldier serum gave you but don't worry, it's only temporary."

"That's great, really it is," Tony scoffs. "Kicking a man while he's down. What happened to fighting fair?"

"Says the man who uses a metal suit to fight his human enemies," someone rounds on Tony. "Now shut your mouth or we'll kill the second blonde."

It goes quiet for a split second, Pepper suddenly yelling again as Tony grunts and Caroline wishes her eyes had been open. She doesn't know what's going on but the other men in the room start yelling as well and there's the definite sound of a fist meeting flesh.

"We warned you," someone snarls. "And now that little stunt of yours just cost your little girlfriend her life."

Caroline's eyes snap open just as Pepper screams even louder than before, a gun cocks, and Caroline flashes to her feet. Several people start shouting at once but Caroline ignores them in favor of coming up behind the man pointing his weapon at Pepper. She maneuvers them within a blink of the eye so the man's body is between her and everyone else, one hand gripping the man's shoulder as the other pushes his head to the side. With a hiss, her fangs descend and she's sinking them into his neck without a second thought.

She drinks for a few seconds, letting the man's blood heal her lingering pain from the bullet to her head, and moves them around the room as his companions fire at her. But since she's using him as a shield, they're shooting their friend and not her. And when Caroline finally has her fill, she rips her fangs from the man's neck to let him drop with a gaping wound so he'll bleed out. The gunfire pauses as the man crumples and she bares her fangs at the room. Hissing at all the shocked faces, the veins beneath her eyes pulse angrily and she knows what she must look like to them with blood staining her mouth.

She's panting heavily as she trains her gaze on each and every threat, taking a second to see Tony gaping at her as Pepper crawls towards him, and Steve trying his best to sit up while staring at her in shock. As soon as the gunfire starts again, she flashes around the room too fast for anyone to track, incapacitating all the men by snapping their wrists and kicking their weapons away. Everyone's shouting as they're trying to pin her location and then half of them end up with snapped necks and tossed clear across the room.

Two are left standing, both staring wide-eyed at the new threat they hadn't counted on. Caroline's suddenly in front of both of them, hand wrapped around one guy's throat as she lifts him clearly off the ground. His companion tries to step away from them but Caroline backhands him across the room, unconscious.

"D-don't. Don't!" Steve pleads. "Caroline." Hearing Steve call out to her is like a cold bucket of water being dropped on her head, her vampire visage bleeding away as she's left staring up at the man struggling to breathe within her grasp. "We need him alive."

She gulps through her sudden nerves, letting up some on the grasp she has on the man's throat and setting him down on his feet. But when he starts to weakly claw at her hand on his throat, she snarls at him and makes him stop all attempts of getting free.

Turning her face towards Steve, her snarl forms into a frown. "I-I'm sorry." Hearing scrambling behind her, she turns in that direction and finds Pepper's wide terrified eyes staring at her as she crouches next to wary Tony. "Please don't look at me like that," she murmurs in defeat. "I didn't mean to scare you. But he s-shot me and he was going to kill you," she says in defense of her actions.

"How are you alive," Pepper shakily wonders as Tony asks, "What are you?"

Caroline weakly shakes her head, blonde blood soaked curls swaying. She looks at the man in her grasp once more, letting her pupils dilate when he catches her gaze. "Be quiet, stand still, and don't do anything stupid," she compels him. And when his form drains of all tension and goes limp in her grasp, Caroline lets him go and turns her attention to Pepper, Tony, and Steve. "I'm sorry," she goes on to tell them, tears filling her eyes.

Seeing Caroline beg for forgiveness after she just had her hand wrapped around a man's throat is really a sight to behold, and it leaves everyone feeling a bit uneasy.

"How did you do that?! Who do you work for? What do you want with us?"

Caroline's gaze snaps to Tony, her frown deepening. "It's.. it's one of my talents," she lamely tells him. "And I work for you. I don't want anything from you other than your friendship." The blubbering mess in front of them is really confusing them. One moment she was kicking ass, hypnotizing the enemy and the next, she's crying and asking for their forgiveness. "I just wanted to be normal; live a normal life once again. I didn't want any of you to ever find out about me. Especially like this!"

Tony and Pepper seem to have relaxed some now that the immediate threat has been taken of, the only thing worrying Pepper now is that she somehow finds a way to stop the bleeding of Tony's gunshot wound. Pepper ends up grabbing Caroline's cardigan, she using that to wrap around Tony's wound while also making sure Caroline isn't about to attack. And Tony, his mind is running a mile a minute, wondering just what Caroline did to the guy that has him standing stock still and blinking as he stares into nothingness.

"Are you a mutant," he asks out of nowhere. "You mentioned a talent?"

"Mutant," Caroline's brows furrow in confusion. "They exist?"

"Well you said you had a talent," Tony scoffs as he gestures to the still man. "How else can you explain doing that to a guy?"

She stares at the compelled man, biting her bottom lip nervously. "I- I'm different," she admits. "But now is not the time. We need to clean up and find out just what the hell is going on."

"We need to call S.H.I.E.L.D."

Caroline's attention then snaps to Steve. "What's that?"

"It's an agency that deals with whatever threats target one of us," Tony grunts as Pepper uses too much pressure on his leg. "They also deal with the weird and otherworldly."

Her eyes widen in surprise and fear, her gaze locking back on with Steve's as he starts digging into his jean pockets. "Don't! Please, don't," she begs. "I don't want to be taken away from my mom only to be experimented on. I won't be tortured. Not again."

Steve pauses at that, stomach churning at the words that just left the blonde's mouth. And realizing her mistake, Caroline softly curses but shakes her head when she sees the question sitting there in Steve's eyes.

"Is your mom like you," Tony asks instead and again, she shakes her head.

"Mom's human. If she were like me, she wouldn't be sick."

"What exactly  _are_  you?"

She ignores him in favor of turning and staring pleadingly at Steve, he grimacing as he finally frees his phone. "It doesn't matter if we believe you or not. We still need S.H.I.E.L.D here to pick up the men and get answers from the alive ones."

"You want answers, I can get you answers. I can get them faster and easier than your best interrogator. Just please, don't send me away or let them take me."

Steve stares at her, working on his breathing before finally trying to stand up. He doesn't answer; he just stares as he thinks it over while occasionally glancing at his phone, and it's Tony who breaks the silent tension.

"Prove it."

Caroline's gaze darts between all three of her friends before turning around and standing in front of the man who was shooting at them. He's glaring at her but since he's been compelled, there's nothing else he can do.

Easily catching his stare once more, Caroline lets her pupils dilate. "Who are you? Who do you work for?"

"Trent Danvers," he deadpans. "We are Hydra."

The name doesn't mean anything to her but she guesses it does for the others if their suddenly pounding hearts are anything to go by or the sudden intake of breath from Pepper and Tony.

"Impossible," Steve breathes out in shocked awe. "Hydra doesn't exist anymore."

"Ask him where his boss is," Tony then says, side-eyeing Steve warily.

"Where's your boss," she asks immediately.

"We are our own boss ," he answers without missing a beat.

Caroline turns to Tony, he now standing with Pepper's help as they make their way to Steve to help him stand since he looks like he's gaining his strength back. All three look both scared and impressed with Caroline's talent before Steve asks where the base of operations is.

The man, of course, doesn't answer him so Caroline asks him again when Steve looks to her.

"Harlem." Both Steve and Tony curse at it being so close to them. "Base is underground in an abandoned building."

"JARVIS, I need a scan run over Harlem," Tony calls out but JARVIS doesn't respond. "JARVIS?"

"He's probably been compromised," Pepper tells him. "How else would they have gotten in?"

Tony curses yet again and motions for Caroline's laptop, Pepper immediately grabbing it up for him so he can get into his system's mainframe.

"If this is Hydra like he said," Steve sighs, his jaw then clenching angrily. "We need to check for false teeth." Pepper and Caroline grimace, and Steve's lips faintly twitch. "Hydra agents are known for slipping a cyanide pill into a false tooth and swallowing it when captured. When the one you have wakes up from his daze, he'll do exactly that as will the one lying unconscious from where you sent him flying."

"Sorry about that," Caroline apologizes yet again, quickly turning her attention back to the supposed Hydra man. "If you have a cyanide pill in your mouth, spit it out."

Steve protests that he'll just swallow it but is shocked yet again to watch the man spit it out. "I'll just- I'll go get his friends out," he mutters and limps away.

Steve then finally manages to drag the only other living agent to drop at the still standing agent's feet once he gets the pill out, Tony yells in triumph about getting JARVIS back online and sweeping not only Harlem but his building as well, and Pepper continues to eye Caroline curiously.

"I still need to call in S.H.I.E.L.D," Steve finally says when he makes it back to the trio. "They'll need to know about this attack and the answers you got from the agent."

Caroline's shoulders slump in defeat and nods sadly. "I understand."

"But don't think they're taking you," Tony throws in, giving them his attention once more. "I found you first, kid. They can't have you."

Her gaze snaps to him and Tony's trying to smirk through his pain, Pepper's now flashing her a small smile, and Steve only sighs in response. "Well, she is a Stark employee. Last I checked, Pepper had forms saying S.H.I.E.L.D couldn't touch Stark employees."

Caroline beams at that and Tony's quick to halt her excitement. "But don't think we're not talking about your  _talent_ , Little Bit, or the freaky thing with the eyes and teeth and the hissing. When we get back from meeting with the pirate, you're spilling everything."

"I can do that. I will do that but only for you three. You deserve answers."

"Okay," Steve agrees. "Now go wash up in the sink. There's blood on your face and in your hair."

Caroline looks to Pepper and asks if it's okay to use the sink, and after getting reassured by Pepper that it was fine, Caroline uses her speed to wash her hair out with the soap at the sink and to rinse her face off.

"Hill," Steve's voice barks out, every bit of authority making Caroline wanting to stand straight. "We need a pickup atop Stark Towers and a cleanup crew sent over. The tower's been compromised by Hydra and we got a couple of live ones."

She doesn't bother using her vampire hearing to hear what this supposed Hill is saying, her mind replaying over the events that just took place. When Steve finally hangs up, Caroline realizes that her Mom is still at home and possibly alone since it's been a while that she had last spoken to her.

"My mom," she suddenly blurts. "She's alone at her apartment. I need to get her- I can't leave her there!"

"Relax," Pepper's tells her, walking towards her but not getting too close and finding a hair-tie on one of the small tables next to the couches. "I have to stay here to overlook the cleanup so I'll go pick her up as soon as the crew gets settled. I'll tell her it's an emergency, bring her back here, and we'll lock ourselves up on the loft floor after sending all SI employees home and locking down the entire building until Tony gets back to overlook safety protocols again." Caroline takes a moment to calm herself and tie her wet hair up in a sloppy bun with the tie Pepper had passed her as Tony makes a note with JARVIS to follow Pepper's orders when he's away. Caroline eventually nods and gives her thanks. "And since I won't be there, can you make sure Tony gets checked out by medical?"

"Y-yeah. I'll make sure he's taken care of."

Tony squawks is offense since he's sitting right there but the women ignore him. They hold each other's stare, come to a mental understanding, and then they're both smiling at one another as if Caroline wasn't a monster and Pepper just hadn't witnessed Caroline rip a man's throat out with her teeth.

A jet's engine closing in soon sounds and Caroline takes a deep breath, readying herself for what was to come. Pepper, too, takes a deep breath and readies herself to direct people about as the others head for the elevator while dragging their captives behind them.

Caroline was in for a long day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the whole break-in was a bit over the top but I needed it to be because Stark and Co. needed to be caught off guard. I apologize if it's not believable but.. that's all I had.
> 
> Also, HAPPY EARLY THANKSGIVING for those celebrating Thors-day and preparing for a food coma ;) This week is going to be hectic so sadly, you won't see the fall out until Friday.


	8. Chapter 8

Caroline had been seated between Steve and Tony, her right knee bouncing nervously as an intimidating black man with an eye patch stared her down. An insanely beautiful redhead picked at her nails with a dagger, and the cute older guy with a military buzzcut and really cut arms stared at her as if he was trying to figure her out.

When the quinjet had landed atop Stark Tower and the so-called cleanup crew filed out, Tony instructed JARVIS to send them down to Pepper while he steered Caroline into the back of jet behind a limping Steve who pushed forward their now compelled captives (she had compelled them to remain quiet for the ride, answer all of S.H.I.E.L.D's question, and to forget everything they'd seen her do. To them, she was only the event coordinator who got caught in the middle and kicked their ass).

Red and Arms were apparently the pilots, both staring warily at Caroline as Steve and Tony tucked her between them, and asked just what the hell happened that left Rogers looking beat and Tony looking drained.

Steve told them not to worry about it- to just get to the Helicarrier as quickly as possible because Stark was still bleeding out- and assured them that the Hydra agents were on their best behavior so they had nothing to worry about. But Red and Arms didn't fly them away and instead had settled their focus on Caroline's presence.

" _Eyes up front,"_ Stark had told them.  _"Forbes is with us. She helped out during the attack."_

Red and Arms had left it at that, Steve quickly explaining to Caroline that they were Agents Romanoff and Barton.

Caroline hadn't known what to expect when Steve mentioned getting to the Helicarrier but the giant ship floating high up in the sky hadn't even registered as a possibility until they were landing. People milled about in breathing apparatus', and Steve and Tony pulled their own out from below their seats before passing one to Caroline. Agents Barton and Romanoff got their captives ready, zip-tying their hands together and pulls breathing apparatus' down over their heads so they didn't bite the dust before they could be questioned.

Steve and Tony were directed to an infirmary, Caroline following them as the two agents who flew their jet led their captives away to be patted down, stripped, shoved into different clothing, and then locked away in a room until S.H.I.E.L.D was ready for them.

And when Steve and Tony had been cleared, the agents then led Caroline plus Tony and Steve to have a one-on-one with Fury. Caroline had seemed wary but when no-one was looking, Tony squeezed her shoulder in assurance and muttered that it was all going to be fine.

Only when they sat down in the bleak blue-gray room with a metal table separating the two agents and Fury on one side, and Steve, Caroline, and Tony, on the other, Caroline had gulped. Steve and Tony relayed what had happened, Steve giving a very descriptive scene but he surprisingly left out the bit of Caroline being shot in the head. He had to fib somehow but before he could, Tony painted the picture of Caroline going  _Xena: Warrior Princess_  on everyone and kicking their ass while having to end up snapping a neck or two in self defense. Romanoff arched one perfectly sculpted eyebrow and Caroline rolled her eyes at Tony's storytelling.

But then they got to the bit where it was Caroline who managed to get the one Hydra agent to speak and all eyes had been on her. She remained quiet, kept her eyes downcast, but she could feel their stares boring into her and wondering how she managed that. Not even Tony could manage to spin a story fast enough on how Caroline had done what she'd done but Caroline didn't offer anything up either.

It had quickly became a staring contest, Tony remaining as cool as a cucumber as both Steve and Caroline fidgeting under the stares. Romanoff had quickly gotten tired of the quiet, using her dagger as an intimidation technique but it didn't work. Well, it did, 'cause Caroline was feeling a threatening vibe from the redhead but Caroline had dealt with far worse in her past to be too intimidated by a mere human.

"Tell me, Miss Forbes, how it is that an ex-cheerleader from Mystic Falls got a Hydra agent to sing like a canary?"

Caroline's gaze snaps up towards the one eyed man, jaw clenching as he brings up her cheerleading past and insinuates that someone like her shouldn't be capable of anything as such. But before Caroline can say anything, Tony sits up a little straighter. "How do you know that about Miss Forbes?"

Caroline is thinking the same thing but when she catches the little voice that she can hear from eye patch's ear, it's enough to let her stop worrying about it. He's got outside sources feeding him information. Awesome.

"Oh, wait a minute," Tony then drawls. "This is S.H.I.E.L.D we're talking about. Of course, you already know everything. You probably had a facial scan of her the second she stepped inside the ship and ran a background check. Am I right?"

"Of course," Fury mimics Tony's drawl. "Now answer the question, Miss Forbes."

"Uh, no," Tony blurts and some of Caroline's tension drains from her as she dons her most innocent expression. "Miss Forbes is my employee and I won't allow you to interrogate or intimidate her like she's the enemy. If it weren't for her, we'd all possibly be dead."

"Well excuse the fuck outta me," Fury then sneers."But if your employee is capable of snapping the necks of men much larger than her, I'd like to know more about her if she's going to be in close contact Captain-Goddamn-America."

"I took a lot of self defense and body combat growing up," Caroline blurts before Tony can open his mouth again. "My mom was the Sheriff of the last town we lived in and she wanted to know that I knew what I was doing should I run into trouble. Looks like those lessons finally paid off."

Fury, Romanoff, and Barton are all staring at her but it's Fury who scoffs with a cruel smile. "You expect me to believe that you took down several Hydra agents? You?!"

Tony and Steve tense, and Caroline's gaze narrows as she crosses her arms over her chest. "Yes," she plainly states and then crosses one leg over the other, leaning comfortably back in her chair. "Because they're doing the same thing you're doing right now. They underestimated me."

Tony slow claps and both Barton and Steve are fighting off grins. Fury continues to glare and Romanoff just stares before going back to picking her nails with her dagger. "Well now that that's out of the way," Tony smirks. "Little Bit and I need to get back to the tower to check on Pepper and Miss Forbes' mother."

"Miss Forbes has NDA's to sign, Stark, now that she knows about things she shouldn't have known."

"Then send them to Stark Tower," Caroline replies. "My mother is very sick and I'd like to make sure she's okay."

Tony stands with a proud smile, offering Caroline his hand. "You coming, Capsicle?"

"I don't see why not," he mutters as he, too, stands. "We gave them what they needed and if they learn anything new from the prisoners, we're only a phone call away. I'll be expecting updates since this is Hydra we're dealing with."

Fury doesn't try to keep Steve there but he does glare at him for siding with Stark and his so-called employee who he knew were keeping secrets. Just what secrets, though, he didn't know and if there was one thing Fury didn't like, it was not  _knowing._

**xXx. XxX. xXx**

By the time they get back to the Tower, the sky is various colors of pinks, oranges, and surprisingly purple.

Tony leads Steve and Caroline down to his personal loft where they find Pepper and Liz seated on the sofa. When Liz sets eyes on Caroline, she starts crying tears of relief and since the secret is already out, Caroline doesn't second guess herself as she uses her vampire speed to close the distance between the two them.

From her peripheral vision, she sees Pepper startle at her speed but Caroline pays her no mind as she kneels in front of her mom and envelops her in a hug. "Mom, shh. Shh," she murmurs. "I'm fine. I'm okay."

"Ms. Potts explained to me what happened," Liz continues to cry, hugging her daughter as tightly as she can with how weak she's been. "Why is this always happening to you?"

"Just my luck, I guess," Caroline answers. "But they weren't here for me, Mom. They were here for Steve and I couldn't stand down and do nothing."

"But you got shot!"

"It's not my first time." And that- that earns surprised coughing from Tony.

Caroline and Liz pull away from one another, Caroline smiling sheepishly as she blinks away tears of her own and Liz wiping her tears away while apologizing. "I'm sorry," she sniffles while staring up at the two newcomers. "I didn't mean for you to see any of that."

"It's fine," Pepper assures her, laying a hand on Liz's knee. "Liz, I'd like you to officially meet Tony Stark and Steve Rogers. Boys, this is Caroline's mother Elizabeth Forbes."

"But please, call me Liz," she tells them and Caroline giggles.

Introductions are quickly made, everyone settles down, and then a silence falls upon the group as Caroline sighs. She quickly pulls out her phone, finding Stefan's contact and shooting him a quick text asking for pictures of Katherine and Rebecca because their secret was out, and it was now time for show and tell between a small group of friends.

"Tony," she calls out, eyes downcast as she has a quick convo with Stefan before he sends her the pics she requested. "Can JARVIS get into my phone even if it's not Stark technology?" She saves the pics that had quickly came through, smiling at Stefan's good luck text, and then looks up at the billionaire.

"Sure," he shrugs. "Why do you need him in there?"

"I have pictures of some people that are going to be mentioned in what I'm about to tell you all and I figured putting a face to the name will make the story easier and not as confusing. I figured we can bring up the pictures as holograms or something as I tell the story."

Tony nods, gesturing for her to follow and the two end up behind the couches where a small glass table sits. It looks like a regular table but once Tony lays Caroline's phone down, it's surrounded by a blue glow and Tony starts tapping alongside the phone before a large hologram of Caroline's phone is brought up right before their eyes.

"There," he tells her and then slips her a metal bracelet from his own wrist. "You can manipulate your apps and what not in air now."

She nods, dons the bracelet, and calls everyone to attention- telling them to turn around so they can see what's going on. As Steve helps her mom get situated so she's the closest to Caroline and everyone takes their seat, Caroline turns back to the hologram of her phone and enters her photo album. She scrolls through the pictures before finding one of Bonnie and dragging it to the side so it blows up in size for everyone to see clearly, and then repeats the process for pictures of Matt, Tyler, and Elena.

"Okay," she sighs, stepping aside and then looking out at everyone. It kind of feels a bit like high school all over again, standing in front of everyone and ready to deliver a speech. "So if I'm going to do this, please hold all questions until after, okay?" Steve, Pepper, and Tony nod, and Caroline sighs one last time before plastering on a shaky smile. "Okay, so, I'm Caroline Forbes.. and I'm a vampire."

Tony's the only one to snort though he keeps his mouth shut, and Steve and Pepper just kind of sink into their chairs in shock and wary eyes.

"I wasn't always a vampire," she continues nervously. "In fact, my mom gave birth to me in 1992. I was just an average human and grew up with my best friends Bonnie, Elena, and Matt," she says as she points their pictures out. "We didn't befriend Tyler until High School because he was your typical jock who hated everyone. But anyway," she says quickly and turns to find a picture of Stefan before bringing it forward. "We met Stefan in 2009 and he was immediately all over Elena. He even turned me down when I asked him out," she laughs and Tony grins but quickly smothers it when Caroline glares at him. She was so not  _warm for his form_ and she knew that that's what Tony was thinking at the moment. "Days after Stefan, his brother Damon," again, she pauses to bring up a photo. "-comes into town. He showed interest in me and I was all for shoving that in Elena's face that Stefan's older brother chose me."

"But I thought you just said you were best friends," Tony frowns and Pepper slaps his arm for interrupting.

"We were," she answers him. "But I had a bit of self-esteem issues growing up and it didn't help that  _everyone_ always chose Elena. I was bitchy back then. I grew out of it. Somewhat."

Tony nods with an amused grin and gestures for her to continue.

"So by now, to me, everything's just peachy and nothing's wrong. My friends had stumbled upon the supernatural realm and didn't even bother to tell me or give me some sort of way to defend myself. Turns out, Damon and Stefan are vampires who were turned back in 1865 by the one and only Katarina Petrova or as she went by now, Katherine Pierce." When Katherine's picture from way back then comes up for everyone to see, she sees the moment they recognize something's off when their eyes widen.

"Jesus," Steve breathes in awe. "They could pass as twins."

Caroline nods and gestures between Elena and Katherine. "Elena is a descendant and doppelganger of Katherine's. And if you think this is weird, you should have seen when Amara got added to the mix. I don't have a picture of her but she was the first that everyone descended from. But back on track, though," she shakes her head after having been thrown off course. "When Katherine came to town, that's when everything went chaotic. Vampires were coming out of the woodwork, and witches and werewolves were coming into their power."

Tony opens his mouth to say something but Caroline holds up her hand to halt him. "There was a celebration in our town and I was in a car with Tyler and Matt. A device was activated that was supposed to hurt the supernatural creatures and not knowing he was one, Tyler was caught off guard and crashed the vehicle we were in. I was the only one injured and ended up in the hospital with nearly fatal injuries. I hadn't known then but Bonnie had just come into her power as a witch and witches don't get along so well with vampires. So when Elena convinced Damon to do a good deed- because Damon's a dick, really- and feed me some of his blood since vampire blood heals, Bonnie didn't want him to. They argued but eventually came to the conclusion that he would feed me his blood so I wouldn't die on them.

And come the following morning, I was fine. I was in great health and nothing was wrong. Only when I went to bed the following night, I was awoken by who I thought was Elena at the time in my room but turned out to be Katherine.

In 2010, I was smothered in my hospital bed with vampire blood in my system. I died and then woke up in transition."

"Oh, Caroline," Pepper breathes out, a hand covering her mouth in shock.

Caroline smiles sadly and shrugs. "I didn't know what I was when I woke up and was disgusted with myself when I figured out the smell of blood smelled appetizing. I had all these memories rushing back to me- memories of a toxic relationship with Damon where he fed on me among other things, and compelled me to spy on my friends or betray them. I ended up finding Damon that night, shoving him across a hallway to show him I wasn't weak little Caroline anymore, but that was also the night I killed my first victim." She pauses there, tears filling her eyes at the memory and gulps passed the lump in her throat. "I was so scared and hungry, and I didn't know how to stop. Damon tried to kill me, Elena and Stefan saved me, Bonnie hated me because of what I'd become, and then Stefan held me as I cried and told me it was going to be fine.

He showed me how to hunt animals- he called it the bunny diet- but I couldn't stick to it. So instead, I was put on a diet of alcohol mixed with human blood from blood bags that Damon stole from the hospital. It worked, I only had a few slip-ups but I never killed again after that unless the situation called for it. And eventually, Stefan convinced Bonnie to make me a daylight ring so I could walk in the sun."

"Hold up. That myth is actually real," Tony asks incredulously. "You burn in the sun?!"

"Yes but since I wear this," she flashes them her ring without a second thought. "The magic soaked into it protects me from burning to a crisp. Should I take it off in the daylight, poof! Bye, bye, Caroline." Tony can only gape as everyone tries to get a peek at her ring, she eventually just slipping it off and tossing it to Steve so they could pass it around. It's not like she'd burn anyway since the sun was long gone. "We found out Tyler was a werewolf next, he having to be brought into  _the know_  so he could prepare for the painful transformations that were sure to come. There's a bunch more drama after that, everything always coming back to be because of Elena and her status as a human doppelganger. So when word got out of her existence, it brought Elijah to town."

A picture of Elijah is brought up and she continues her story. "Elijah is an Original, part of the family who were the first of our kind. After Elijah came Klaus and then Rebekah. There were two more plus their psychopathic mother and father but we sort of killed them." Photos of Klaus and Rebekah are then added to the fray. "Anyway, Klaus wasn't like his brothers or sister. Sure, he was a vampire but he was also wolf because his mother cheated on their father with the alpha of the nearby wolf pack. Because of Klaus' status, he would have been able to make hybrids of his own but that apparently was too much power. A curse was placed upon him and the only way to break it were sacrifices and the blood of a doppelganger- a Petrova doppelganger to be exact."

"Elena," Pepper realizes and Caroline nods.

"For a while, the Originals sans Elijah, tried to kill us and we them. Only then their mother placed a spell on her children that would link them together so that should one die, they all die because she didn't like the monsters they'd become. But Bonnie was quickly pulled into their drama after they threatened some people close to her and they forced her to break the spell for them. But it didn't work like they were expecting.

Now, the spell has it so that if one Original dies then every vampire they created and so on and so on will die as well. We all wanted-  _needed_ \- Klaus dead but it turned out that Katherine was turned by a woman Klaus had turned. And since Katherine turned both Stefan and Damon, and I was turned by Damon's blood as well as Elena in the later years, we'd have all died right behind him. Even Tyler would have died since Klaus had turned him into a hybrid."

"Holy shit. But you're just kids," Tony exclaims.

"How old are the lot of you," Steve frowns.

"Stefan, Elena, and I are forever seventeen. Damon was turned in his early twenties, I think, as were the Originals except for Rebekah who was about seventeen as well. Tyler's now stuck with us, too, at seventeen. But since Bonnie is a witch, she'll continue to age gracefully."

"Don't forget Alaric," Liz says before erupting into a small coughing fit.

"Oh, right, Mr. Saltzman," Caroline perks back up, finding a picture of him and blowing it up. "Mr. Saltzman transferred to our high school as a teacher but really, he was just a vampire hunter looking for the vampire who supposedly killed his wife but in reality, she was turned by Damon. But then Damon and Mr. Saltzman became friends so they didn't fight as much.

Although, they only became friends after Damon killed him and Mr. Saltzman came back to life hours later. Turned out that his wife had given him a ring that should he die by the hands of a supernatural being, he'd come back to life with no consequences. But with Mr. Saltzman's ring- er, Rick- every time he died, a different spirit slowly took over his body. He eventually wasn't himself, was turned into a vampiric vampire hunter, killed, and then brought back to life recently as a vampire who was back on our side."

"Wow," Tony drawls when Caroline doesn't continue. "You weren't joking when you said Mystic Falls was drama."

"Nope." She smiles at him, gaze nervously darting between Pepper and Steve who are still staring at the picture of her friends. "Any questions?"

Pepper's gaze snaps to hers, her heartbeat picking up and she feebly nods. "You mentioned that you mix alcohol and human blood as a diet; is that something you still do?"

"Mostly," she admits. "I have a human friend who works in a hospital and she sends me several bags of blood to keep me sated each month. We can eat normal human food but alcohol and anything salty curve the cravings for blood. But I have control, if that's what you're worried about. After all, I'm still in close contact with Tony and haven't attacked even though I can smell the blood from his bullet wound. By the way," she turns to him. Would you like me to heal you up?"

"You can smell that?" He then grimaces at the thought of drinking blood. "And no, I'm fine. What else can you do?"

"Well you've seen the speed and strength," she shrugs. "I can smell really well and hear really well. So, please, do calm down. Your erratic heartbeat is annoying."

She flashes him a grin and he rolls his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, we get it. You're super. You've got awesome talents."

Her smile falters but Steve's the one to catch it. When she sees him staring, she can only shrug. "It might sound awesome sans the blood drinking but it's really not. Every emotion we have is amplified and if there's a tragic event that happens to one of us, that's when we can be at our most dangerous. If we can't deal with our emotions, there's a mental switch that we can flip. And once it's flipped, bye-bye humanity, hello ruthless killer."

"Have you ever turned it off?"

Caroline looks to Tony and shakes her head. "No."

"So are these all your friends," Steve suddenly asks. "Even the first of your kind who tried killing you before?"

"How old are they, by the way," Tony interrupts.

"Elijah, Rebekah, and Klaus are all over a thousand years old and yes," she turns to Steve. "Well, I wouldn't necessarily call them my friends but we're civil enough. We're not trying to kill each other anymore."

They all fall silent, staring at the pictures as they let the information sink in. It takes about ten minutes to do so and when Liz starts showing signs of tiring, they decide to call it a night.

But before Liz and Caroline can leave, Caroline stops to talk to Stark.

"Hey, Tony," she starts off nervously and sheepishly. "Everything I just told you, JARVIS recorded it all, yeah?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Can that footage be put on a USB stick and then erased from the mainframe's system? I really don't want that getting out to anyone who can't be trusted."

"Yeah, kid, but if you want it erased, why do you want proof on USB?"

"Because," she bites her bottom lip rather nervously now. "You're part of the Avengers. There will come a time when secrets can't be kept and the other Avengers will need to know. And instead of me having to go through all of that again, we can just hand over the USB for them to watch."

He takes a moment to think it over and then nods. "Yeah, I can do that. I'll keep it somewhere safe."

"Thank you. And can you distort the names of my friends and completely erase their pictures from the footage? I really don't want anyone looking for them when they find out the secret."

Again, Tony nods with a grin and as he's walking her back over to her mother, he cracks a joke about it being a good thing Bruce was away because there was no telling what the Big Guy would have done had he seen Caroline gone all vampire.

Coming to stop, Caroline frowns. "What do you mean by  _Big Guy?_ "

Pepper and Steve stop their quiet conversation they were having with Liz, both of them looking a bit wide-eyed. "Uh, you do know that Doctor Banner is the Hulk, right?" Steve gulps nervously. "I mean, you have to know since you work in close contact with him."

Caroline's eyes go wide and when Tony starts to cackle, she narrows her gaze on him. "Why didn't you tell me?!" Tony starts to come down from his high of laughter just as Caroline shakes her head in denial. "No, he can't be. The fluffy haired scientist who looks like he'd give great snuggles is not that big green thing. He can't be!"

And once again, Tony's back to hysterical laughter. Fluffy haired scientist? He was so not letting that go.

"Sorry to break it to you, Care, but he is," Pepper grimaces. "I'll show you everything you need to know when you come back to work in a week."

"A week?! But the Christmas event-"

"Will have to be cancelled," she sighs sadly. "After all that's happened tonight-"

"I don't care," Caroline argues. "I didt not put all that time and effort into a great event only for some assholes to ruin it. I will take one day off and then be back in to make sure everything is still going according to plan."

"But-"

"No buts!"

Pepper is shocked into silence and it's Liz who breaks it with a small chuckle. "My daughter, everyone. She just doesn't know how to quit."

And as it turns out, Caroline keeps her word.

The Stark Christmas event goes off without a hitch, and Caroline and Liz have the pleasure of having Mr. Rogers as their date for the evening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Told you there was going to be some wariness but was going to be quickly resolved. Caroline's just not the type of person you can remain scared of, especially when the tears start rolling.
> 
> This chapter was kind of a bit.. eh.. but at least I posted.
> 
> Btw, hope everyone had a good food coma day. I know I did although I regretted every bite when I couldn't move from the sofa without making some sort of whale noise. Smh. Lol.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter set:[ **polyvore**](http://www.polyvore.com/new_years/set?id=142184929)

*

"I don't like it," Director Fury states, hand clasped atop his desk as agents Romanoff and Barton sit across from him. "No civilian- whether they took self defense classes or not- should be able to fend off trained wanna-be Hydra agents like Caroline Forbes did. As of right now, Ms. Forbes is an  _unknown_ and I want her watched. You two are moving into Stark Tower to keep an eye on things, and figure out how and why she has Iron Man and Captain America wrapped around her little finger."

"Understood, Sir," Barton solemnly nods.

"What are we to do if she is a threat," Romanoff asks, keeping her features schooled as to not show how uncomfortable this new assignment is. After the Battle of New York, they all saw how well they worked together and she didn't like the fact that now two of them were being used to spy on the others. Especially since they were treating a kid as a threat.

"You do what you do best, Widow," Fury tells her. "You eliminate it."

Barton's jaw ticks but he doesn't speak out. Instead, he keeps his mouth shuts and waits until he and his partner are dismissed. And when they're outside Fury's office, he finally shows his unease.

"Nat-"

"Don't, Barton," she cuts him off though he can easily spot her own wariness of their mission. "We have our orders."

"But she's a kid!"

"A kid who took down agents while Rogers was down and they kept Stark at bay by using his one weakness that goes by the name of Pepper," she hisses back quietly. "If she's not a threat to us then why are Rogers and Stark protecting her? It just doesn't make sense."

"She's one of theirs," he shrugs. "She earned their trust and they're protecting their own."

"Against us?"

"Against Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D. If she is something  _Other_ like Thor or trained by someone, would you want S.H.I.E.L.D getting ahold of you?"

"They do have me." Romanoff holds her partner's stare, her gaze searching his before she gives him the tersest of nods. "We have our orders. We leave on New Year's Eve."

* * *

In the days after Stark's Christmas event, Caroline was flooded with praise via tabloids and phone calls. It was her first successful event that she planned solely on her own, and she was quite proud of herself as was Liz and Pepper. And speaking of Liz and Pepper, Caroline found out that Pepper had formed an odd attachment to her mother and was continuously texting her when she had free time.

Pepper and Steve were the only two that had a couple of times where they were wary to approach Caroline but her bubbly personality, and the fact that Tony didn't treat her any differently, helped ease them back to being comfortable with her once more.

Steve had went into a bit of a broody funk, he mumbling about Hydra and how they weren't supposed to exist anymore. But the day he got the call from S.H.I.E.L.D about the men they'd captured, he calmed down. As it turns out, the men were a newly formed group of trained men who idolized the wrong people. Their base of operations was found and while they were smart at what they did, they were just men who banded together in their hate for the super soldier and followed in Hydra's footsteps.

Then came the time when Tony felt comfortable enough to ask his new vampire friend to drink blood in front of him since he never got a chance to watch her do it the first time when she kicked major Hydra ass, but Steve looked a bit queasy at the mentioning of her drinking blood that she denied him. And then Tony asked to see how sunlight actually affected her, and when both Pepper and Steve looked interested in seeing that too, she figured she could do a little show and tell.

Caroline had gotten JARVIS to black out the windows but leave a thin strip clear so the sunlight streaked in. When that was done, Caroline took a deep breath and slipped off her ring. With a brief grimace, she gathered her courage and pushed up the sleeve of her blazer. And without second guessing it, she stuck her arm out in the sunlight and bit her bottom lip to keep from screaming when her flesh sizzled.

Her eyes had clenched shut so she only pulled her arm back to herself when she heard the  _whoosh_ of a flame and Pepper scream. As she cradled her arm to her chest, Steve rushed to her side from the kitchen with a wet cloth but she weakly waved him. And after a few moments, she had then showed them her arm and it's newly reformed pink skin, and slipped her ring back on.

Steve had sighed in relief, Pepper still looked horrified and made her promise to never do that again, and Tony looked as if someone just presented him with his favorite alcohol.

* * *

It's finally Friday, late afternoon on the day of New Year's Eve.

Pepper had pulled Caroline up from her office and the duo worked side-by-side on the Communal Floor at the kitchen bar. The clacking of keys were the only sound in the room before JARVIS spoke, alerting them to a quinjet landing atop the Tower.

Pepper and Caroline had frozen mid-type, both ladies staring at each other before Pepper asked who it was.

" _It appears that agents Romanoff and Barton have been dropped off along with several of their belongings."_

Caroline freezes and Pepper frowns. "Oh. Can you send them here and call Tony in here, JARVIS?" He gives Pepper his confirmation and then the blonde is turning towards the younger blonde. "I wasn't aware Tony's friends were coming to stay. I mean, I know he has everyone their own personal rooms but he usually tells me when someone moves in."

"I might just be paranoid," Caroline gulps. "But isn't it odd that they move in  _after_  I exposed myself to you and refuse to tell S.H.I.E.L.D just how exactly I did it?" Pepper's lips have curled into a smile as she shakes her head in denial, but as Caroline's words sink in, the smile slowly falls and the elevators ding open on their floor. "Ignore me," she blurts to Pepper who now looks a bit worried. "I'm just being paranoid. Would you like something from the fridge?"

Caroline hops off the stool, her sock clad feet padding against the tiled flooring as she retrieves a bottled pomegranate juice. Pepper asks for the same and as Caroline bends down to retrieve two, she straightens up when she hears two nearly synchronized heartbeats.

Agents Barton and Romanoff are both standing there, duffel bags slung over their shoulders and a few others at their feet as they stare between Pepper and herself. "Pepper," the redheaded agent finally greets with a small nod. Nothing is said to Caroline which she doesn't really care but agent Barton starts to slightly fidget.

As Caroline rolls her eyes at the obvious avoidance, she strides towards Pepper with both their drinks and takes a seat once more with her back towards the agents.

"I thought you were an employee here," Barton finally speaks.

And since the question is obviously meant for her, Caroline turns around with a raised eyebrow. "I am."

"Your lack of shoes and casual outfit say otherwise."

"Could be 'cause it's casual Friday," she shrugs nonchalantly with a small grin. If she were to win over either one of them, it'd be Barton.

His lips briefly twitch as if saying  _ _touché__ and the elevator dings open once more.

Tony saunters out this time, the smuggest of smirks plastered on his face. "So assassins one and two have finally decided to join the cool kids."

"The rooms on the Helicarrier were starting to be too cramped," Romanoff addresses him. "Figured we might as well finally cash in on your hospitality and claim our rooms here."

Caroline manages to open her juice, gulping down half a bottle as she starts to power down her laptop for the day since she's about to get off of work anyway.

"Well it's about damn time," Stark tells them. Caroline slips on her shoes now, something which catches Tony's attention especially since she starts telling Pepper her goodbye. "Hey, Forbes, you're coming back, right?"

"Do you need me to, Mr. Stark?"

Scoffing, Tony shakes his head. "You're off the clock, Little Bit."

"Fine then,  _Tony_. What do you need that you're asking if I'm coming back?"

"I don't need nothing but it is New Year's Eve. Aren't you going to ring it in with us here?"

Caroline pauses as she faces him, not seeing as Pepper hurriedly reaches for her phone in her blazer pocket. "I don't think so," she wrinkles her nose at him as she thinks it over. "I need to be with Mom and she had enough excitement at your last party. I don't think she's ready for more this soon."

"Nonsense," he waves her off. "We're doing everything low key this year since Bruce is away and Thor's gone. We'll just lounge around, eat some food, have some drinks and laughs, and head up to the roof at midnight."

"I dunno," she frowns. "You don't look comfortable enough to just lounge around," she says as she eyes his blue suit.

"Just got out of a meeting," he explains as Pepper clears her throat for attention.

"You're coming," she tells Caroline. "I just got a hold of Liz and even told her the two of you can spend the night in a guest apartment here because there's no telling when we'll be going to sleep. She's all for it."

Caroline chuckles, turning to face Pepper as she shakes her head in amusement. "You and my mom, I swear."

"Then it's settled," Tony claps his hand in excitement. "Go home, change, and bring Momma Bear back with you."

Just as Caroline finally agrees, Steve appears on the floor. They greet each other, Caroline tells him that she'll be back later with her mom in tow as well as some food for all of them. He smiles as she disappears into the elevator he just vacated and walks further towards the kitchen where everyone else is gathered.

But just as he lays eyes on Barton and Romanoff, he tenses.

"Steve," Romanoff finally lets her lips curve into the briefest of grins.

"Natasha. Clint," he greets the both of them.

Clint waves in greeting as he heads for the refrigerator, and Steve and Natasha hold each other's stare. Pepper can practically feel the tension in the room so she makes an excuse for both her and Tony to leave.

"Hey Thing One and Two, Rogers will show you to your rooms since you're all on the same floor," he informs them as Pepper starts dragging him away.

As they disappear, Steve can hear Pepper telling Tony they need to have a guest apartment ready for Caroline and Liz, and then tunes them out as he turns his stare back to his other two teammates.

"What are you doing here?"

"Moving in," Natasha answers. "Stark said we had rooms waiting for when we were ready to move in and we are."

"Funny," Steve huffs and crosses his arms across his chest. "Isn't it odd that you're ready after Hydra's infiltrated the building and when you can't explain how Miss Forbes helped us take them down, you're suddenly interested in moving into the building that she works at?"

Clint gulps down the mouthful of sandwich he'd managed to throw together, gaze locked on the back of Natasha's head. Natasha, who merely shrugs back at the Captain. "It is a coincidence, isn't it?"

Steve's stare hardens but Natasha doesn't waver. "Grab your bags. I'll show you to our floor."

Clint and Natasha do as they're told, the tension still remaining as Steve leads them onto the elevator and up to their floor. They reach Clint's mini apartment first but before he can enter it, Steve stops him to address both the agents.

"If you here under orders, I will find out. Caroline is one of us, therefore off limits. If you do anything to hurt her, you'll be answering to me." Natasha remains impassive as she stares back at Steve and Clint's eye twitches at the threat when the Captain isn't looking at him. "That said, welcome to your new home."

The door swings open with help from JARVIS and then Steve quickly leads Natasha to her own apartment. Without so much as another word, Steve leaves them to unpack and settle in.

**xXx. XxX. xXx**

By the time the sun has disappeared from the sky, Pepper's managed to scrounge up some New Year hats, glasses, and party horns. A few New Year banners have been strung up on the walls and bottles of champagne are already sitting on ice.

Everyone's managed to shed the professional and stuffy clothing, Pepper surprising everyone by wearing the shorts she chose and the smokey eye makeup that she confessed Caroline showed her how to apply. Tony and Steve are both in casual shirts- Steve a solid blue whereas Tony is sporting his favorite band of the week- and Clint and Natasha had just shed their leather jackets.

Steve had just gotten comfortable on one of the armchairs when his phone vibrates in his pocket. With a tired sigh, he pulls it out but quickly loses his tiredness when he reads the text.

_In the lobby with Mom, pizza, and beer. Need your muscles, Stars and Stripes._ \- Caroline

He snorts a laugh and re-pockets his phone, heaving himself up and calling out that he'd be right back. No-one asks what he's doing or where he's going so he makes it to the elevator and down to the lobby without any hassle. And sure enough, Caroline and Liz are there with pizza and beer.

"Liz," he greets kindly as he pulls her into a brief hug. "You look wonderful." He smiles down at her hunter green dress and cardigan. He doesn't say anything about the oxygen tank she's holding at her side nor does he even look at it.

"Always the gentleman," she smiles back though he can see just how tired she really is.

He laughs at her and Caroline finally speaks up. "Can you help mom into the elevator? I'll bring in the food."

"Are you sure you don't need me to take the food," he says even as he's already hooking his arm with Liz's.

"Positive," she grunts as she slides the several stacked pizza boxes onto one of her palms. She grabs two six packs by the handle, smiling up at Steve at her accomplishment. "Now if you'll just slide the last six pack between my torso and elbow, I'll be good to go!"

"How about I take the last six pack," he chuckles and grabs the handle. "You've got enough already."

Liz weakly chuckles at her daughter huff of exasperation and the three quickly find themselves situated in the elevator. As soon as the doors open, Caroline watches as Steve escorts her grinning mother further into the room and towards a smiling Pepper.

"I come bearing gifts," Caroline suddenly calls out, striding forward only to be stopped by a practically salivating Barton. "Oh, hello, agent Barton."

"Just Barton, Miss Forbes," he tells her, eyeing the beer. "Or Clint, whatever you prefer. Here, let me help you."

Caroline tries to decline but he's already taken the beer from her and walking towards the bar where Steve is standing with Stark. Romanoff is leaning against the counter off to the side, watching everyone with wary eyes and Caroline catches as the redhead's gaze falls down to the oxygen tank beside her mother. And before Romanoff can catch her staring, Caroline averts her gaze and heads for the bar.

"This is why I adore you," Tony greets her. "It's like you were reading my mind when I suggested we lounge around. Pizza and beer is perfect."

Pepper introduces Barton and Romanoff as Clint and Natasha to Liz, Caroline finally seeing a smile on the redhead's face when she stares at her mom. But her Mom barely smiles back, she having known of their suspicions towards her daughter because Caroline tells her everything. There's no room for conversation, and pizza and beer are quickly passed out among them with Liz asking for water.

As they're eating and having a few laughs, Tony's the only one who's incapable of sitting still. So before anyone can even finish their food, everyone who hadn't glared at Stark (Natasha really wasn't going to put up with his antics), all had glittery top hats atop their heads.

Clint had childishly blew on a party horn in some sort of tune up until Natasha had slapped it out of his mouth. He pouted and Caroline snorted, pulling up her most innocent of expressions when he mock glared at her for his misfortune.

Stark had JARVIS play music at a reasonable level, Pepper making sure that everyone could be heard over it and didn't have to yell.

Steve, Clint, and Natasha were all sharing the big couch; Pepper was sitting on Tony's lap in one of the armchairs; Liz sat comfortably in the other armchair, and Caroline sat happily by her mother's feet as everyone sans Liz drank beer and told stories that didn't involve anything Avenger related since Liz wasn't cleared to hear all about it.

Tony was in the middle of telling them about when DUM-E nearly brained him the other day with a fire extinguisher- his robot had an odd fetish with said extinguisher- when the picture text messages from Stefan started rolling in. They ranged of selfies with him and Bonnie- the both of them obviously dressed up and ready to bring in the New Year- to Matt and Jeremy playing pool at the Grill where their party was taking place. Even Elena and Damon were shown in the pictures having a good night though she had a feeling they didn't know he was sending them to her, and a fond smile worked it's way across her face.

"What are you smiling at, Forbes," Tony calls her out. "No-one smiles at their phone like that unless it's porn or a sext."

Rolling her eyes, she looks up at him. "It's neither; it's pictures back from Mystic Falls," she says before handing her mom her phone to go through them. "Stefan's-"

"Stefan, eh," he suddenly smirks at her. A smirk in which has Caroline suddenly feeling shifty.

"Who's Stefan?" Clint asks.

"One of her best friends," Pepper answers at the same time Stark starts to say, "Someone that Caroline's wa-"

"Don't you say it! Don't you dare say it," she narrows her eyes on him and even points a finger threateningly in his direction.

"Warm for his form," Steve says instead, a teasing grin lifting up the corner of his lips.

Pepper snorts before falling into a fit of giggles, Tony and Caroline are gaping at him, and Clint's seconds away from asking even more questions.

"I kind of thought he'd be my future son-in-law," Liz mutters and Caroline gasps as Tony finally loses it, laughing so loud that Pepper's trying to muffle it with her own hand.

Caroline whirls on her all too innocent mother and hisses, "Traitor!"

"Welcome to the dark side, Liz," Tony continues to laugh. "Sadly, the Cap ate all the cookies but we might have some leftover pizza."

Liz winks at her daughter before passing her phone back to her, telling her she got a another message, and Caroline finally loses the battle of keeping her own laughter in. She starts laughing at the same time Pepper does, Clint and Natasha staring at them like they've all gone crazy.

And when they've all finally calmed down, Caroline opens up the new text message only to find a video- the video containing one very drunk Bonnie as she hangs off of Stefan singing along to Chandelier by Sia before Stefan's turns the camera on him and perfectly mouths the words  _help me_  before cutting off.

Caroline snorts and quickly texts him back, telling him to quit being a baby and not to let Bonnie make any decisions that she'd regret in the morning. Stefan replied back with that he'd try but he couldn't make any promises because Bonnie was already going to regret her alcohol intake.

The group have a couple more beers- luckily Stark had some more sent over- before finally heading up to the roof for fireworks. Steve helps Liz without even being asked and Liz looks so happy to be helped by him that Caroline doesn't interfere. Even Pepper smiles at Steve helping Liz and quickly flashes Caroline a smile before following after Stark.

**xXx. XxX. xXx**

Once on the rooftop, Tony drapes a light yet warm blanket around Liz's shoulders- he having read up on how cancer patients were usually cold to begin with- and steers her over to the railing by the edge of the building.

They're only standing there for a few minutes before the fireworks start, Tony soundly kissing Pepper while Caroline pecks her mother's cheek and murmuring Happy New Year by her ear. Her mother returns the sentiment before they watch as the sky lights up in a rainbow of sparks, Steve finally asking Caroline if she'd like a picture taken with her mother as the fireworks lit up the sky behind them to send to her friends back home.

She eagerly agrees, Liz agreeing as well before pulling off the nasal tube that supplies her oxygen. When asked why she's doing so, she explains that everyone back in Virginia don't know the extent of her sickness- something which confuses Clint and Natasha but they don't ask- and she'd rather not have them worry.

Pepper pulls the oxygen tank out of view, and Caroline and Liz huddle together as Steve snaps the perfect picture of mother and daughter as purple and gold sparks explode behind them.

Tony's quick to want in on the family bonding, he pulling Pepper along and telling Clint to snap the picture as he yells at Steve to get in on the picture as well. Everyone does as they're told, Tony and Caroline ending up on the ends of the group as Pepper and Steve sandwich Liz between them. They take a normal picture, all smiles, and then Tony's hollering for a fun pic with he and Caroline throwing their arms up in the air as everyone else is only caught mid laugh.

Clint hands Steve back his phone and Caroline hurries to help her mom put her oxygen tubes back on while telling Steve to forward the pictures to her phone.

They all soon fall into a comfortable silence, continuing to watch the night sky erupt in a beautiful array of colors before finally calling it a night when Liz struggles to keep her eyes open.

* * *

The following morning, Liz wakes to the ceiling talking to her. Normally, she'd have freaked out and wondered if she were losing her mind but since Caroline tells her nearly everything, she knew that this was Tony Stark's handy AI system.

He tells her that lunch is ready and Caroline is on the communal floor waiting for her. She has clothes that Caroline had left earlier that morning to pick up, and he'd lead her to the bathroom via his lighting system should she need guidance when she was ready to freshen up.

It takes her longer than normal to get ready, glad that Caroline got her a comfortable stretchy v-neck shirt and some stretchy khaki pants along with sneakers and socks. And by the time she's finished getting ready and presentable, she's a bit out of breath and takes a moment to breathe in the oxygen from her portable tank.

A few minutes pass and Liz soon finds herself being led by JARVIS- via holograms on the walls- towards the elevator. As she waits for the elevator to come up from somewhere down below, she's not that surprised to find Clint and Natasha standing in the elevator clad in gym wear since she knows Tony Stark has a private gym somewhere in the building.

They smile in greeting, Liz smiling back though her smile is obviously forced. Tension immediately envelops the trio and Liz frowns at the panel of buttons and numbers.

"Communal floor?" she guesses as she points out the lit up button.

"Yes, ma'am," Clint answers.

She nods and settles herself off to one side of the elevator, the tires of her tank cart squeaking as she wheels the oxygen tank beside her.

The tension doubles as the doors finally close and with her annoyance bubbling right beneath the surface, Liz heaves a tired sigh and turns towards the two agents. "I want to like the two of you, I do," she blurts right off the bat. "But it's hard to do so when the both of you are clearly watching my daughter's every move with distrust oozing out of every pore." Clint opens his mouth to reply but Liz holds her hand up to stop him. "I don't know the specifics- I don't want them- but I am a mother protecting her young. So with that said, listen closely."

Natasha and Clint subtly stand a little taller, gazes locked on the sickly woman before them. "If you so much as touch one pretty little blonde strand of my daughter's hair with intent to cause harm, I will make you pay. I might not be able to do much in my state, but I do know people, and one of those people just so happens to be quite fond of my daughter. Should harm befall her, all it would take is a single text to have this city ripped apart in her name. Am I clear?"

Both agents want to snort in amusement at the threat but the glint in Liz's eye is telling them she's deadly serious. Clint's adam apple bobs as he gulps and nods, and this time, it's Natasha's right eye that faintly twitches at the threat.

"We're clear," the redhead deadpans just as the elevator opens up on the Communal Floor.

Liz flashes them a brilliant smile then, walking off the elevator as if their conversation never happened. Clint and Natasha share a quick look with one another, both of them puzzled over everything that's happened since they moved in.

Steve threatening them was one thing- they figured he just found a new friend in the energetic blonde and was worried they'd scare her away- but now that Caroline's own mother was warning them off..

Something was definitely up and it was only a matter of time before the two agents figured it out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So.. this was pretty much a filler.
> 
> For the last four days, I've been staying up late to watch "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D" on Netflix and anywhere I could find the early episodes of season 2. And I gotta say.. I HATE ALL OF YOU FELLOW AoS VIEWERS! WHY DIDN'T YOU WARN ME I'D GET ATTACHED TO CERTAIN CHARACTERS AND ABOUT ALL THE PAINFUL SCENES THEY GO THROUGH?!
> 
> Seriously, I fell in love with both Fitz and Simmons- ESPECIALLY SIMMONS- and each time she cries, it's like a punch to the feels. And Coulson's protectiveness of Skye is just so heartwarming. So with that being said, I've gotta admit that I may be writing a ONE-SHOT AU crossover of 1X14 (I think that's the episode where they're looking for the cure for Skye).
> 
> AoS is going to need a way to save Skye so Fury sends them to a group of people he trusts at Stark Tower ;) It'll be posted after "Young Blood" is finished and will most likely be the first of many ONE-SHOTS that will pick up during CA: TWS.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Chapter Set** : [polyvore](http://www.polyvore.com/outed_again/set?id=142616992)

When Clint and Natasha find out the big secret, it's only six days after they had moved into the Tower.

Really, Tony expected it to be sooner as had Caroline, but what they hadn't counted on was the way they found out.

It was a normal work day for Caroline, she only knowing it was going to be a bad day when she couldn't shake the tiredness from her mind or limbs. She had gotten up, made her mother breakfast, and sipped some blood with orange juice while eating bacon and eggs as well. The amount of blood usually held her over until after work but she couldn't curve the craving.

So since three out of six (Bruce was finally back from his trip) knew about Caroline's thirst for blood, and the three who knew were the ones she spent a majority of her time with, she figured she was safe with dumping the remainings of a blood bag into a styrofoam cup once more and securing a lid on it.

She had gotten in contact with JARVIS and asked who was lingering about since she was heading to Starbucks for their usual drinks. Pepper, Tony, Steve, and Bruce wanted their usual while Natasha and Clint declined. So after ordering, picking up their drinks, and parking in the underground garage, she makes her usual rounds of dropping off drinks before finding Steve on the communal floor chatting with Natasha and Clint at the bar.

She walks over to them, smiling as she places her own drink in front of her and handing Steve's his.

Ever since New Year's, Clint had been more at ease around her but they never really chatted. They don't really have that comfortable friendship where you can drink from your friend's drink so she's a bit shocked and terrified when Clint's passing by and picks up her drink as if he'd been doing it for ages.

She's far away from her drink that she can't reach out and grab the drink from him without raising suspicious, and it's like everything's in slow motion as the straw heads for Clint's parted lips. Steve catches Caroline's horrified gaze just as Clint pulls a drink from the straw, nearly cringing when there's an audible gag from his teammate.

Clint splutters and gags some more, spitting out whatever he's managed to put in his mouth and looks up with widened eyes. "What the fuck? Why are you drinking blood?!"

Natasha's gaze turns stony as she settles her sights on the now terrified Caroline, and Steve's slowly standing from his seat; ready to diffuse whatever situation that occurs next.

Caroline's frantic gaze falls to the cup in Clint's hand, his stomach churning as he eyes the cup still in hand before he lets it fall with a scowl. But in the blink of an eye, Caroline's crouched right in front of him and catching it before it can hit the ground.

"I- I can explain," she pleads and slowly straightens up just as Natasha whips out a gun from thin air, aiming and firing.

The bullet hits Caroline in her right shoulder, making the blonde stumble back in shock and drop her drink; the styrofoam cup breaking and splattering the red liquid at Clint's feet. He steps back in disgust, Caroline's hand coming up to grip at the wound in her shoulder.

"Stop. Stop!," Steve yells, hurrying to Caroline's side.

However, when Caroline peers back up at the two agents, she's fully vamped out. The whites of her eyes have gone blood red, black veins pulse angrily beneath her eyes, and her fangs are on full display as she hisses in displeasure.

Startled, Natasha fires twice more, hitting Caroline for the second time in the same shoulder while the second bullet grazes Steve's arm after he pushes his friend aside. "Enough," Steve finally shouts, ignoring his wound and guarding Caroline. She's still vamped out, hissing, but not attacking. "She said she'd explain."

"You have a monster at your back, Rogers. I doubt she can speak," Natasha deadpans, gun still aimed at Caroline.

"I can speak just fine," Caroline grounds out, nearly spitting in anger. "If you wouldn't have shot me, you wouldn't have had to find out like this."

"You attacked-"

"I attacked no-one," the blonde cuts off the redhead, earning a glare from said redhead. "He dropped the cup so I caught it. There was no attacking but, of course, you shot first and now are expecting your questions answered second."

Caroline's left heavily panting as her vampire visage fades away, Clint's calmed down some though he's now hip-to-hip with an on edge Black Widow, and Caroline's brows finally pull together as her gaze darts down to Steve's bleeding arm.

"You're hurt," she voices which earns a scoff from Steve.

"It's only a graze. You were shot. Twice."

"I've had worse," she mutters and then the elevator's dinging open on the floor.

"What the hell's going on," Tony shouts, Bruce jogging up behind him. "Why is JARVIS telling me that Romanoff just shot both Little Bit and the Cap?!"

His eyes dart between everyone facing off, taking in the bleeding wound on Steve and the bloodied sleeve of Caroline's dress, down to the pool of blood sitting beneath a broken styrofoam cup. Pinching the bridge of his nose, Tony swears before chuckling at the absurdity of it all.

"You knew?" Clint huffs. "You knew and didn't tell any of us?!"

"Knew what?" Bruce calmly asks.

Pointing at Caroline, Clint glowers. " _Little Bit_ was drinking human blood. She has fangs, Banner.  _Fangs!_ "

Bruce startles, his eyes widening. "Caroline?" She smiles sadly at him but it's Tony who speaks before she can.

"Well, we knew this was going to happen sooner or later," he shrugs and then nods at her hand clasping her shoulder where there's blood marring the black and white sleeve of her dress. "You okay, kid?"

Caroline grimaces, letting her hand fall before rolling her shoulder. "Peachy. It's healed," she deadpans.

Bruce's eyes widen once more and Steve smiles reassuringly at him. It's only when the cocking of a gun pierces the air does Tony whirl back around and glare at Natasha. "Stand down, Widow," he demands. "Caroline's a friend."

But Natasha's stare is looking passed Steve and at Caroline who's holding her gaze. It isn't until a hand drops on Caroline's shoulder does she look away and finds Bruce who's picking at the holes in her sleeves. "How is this-"

"Banner," Natasha calls out. "Step away."

"With all due respect, Romanoff, can it," Caroline rolls her eyes. "It's not like I bite." Steve snorts as does Tony and even Clint's lips twitch but he remains on guard. "Well," she then amends sheepishly. "I won't bite anyone in this Tower."

Natasha's finger twitches just the slightest on the trigger but no-one calls her out on it. "Alright, alright, put the gun away, Romanoff," Tony finally sighs though he looks rather amused. "Caroline's a guest here as well as you are and I won't have you killing her. Caroline has her explanation for whatever it is you saw and I'll go get that if you put your weapon away and calm the hell down."

"Get her explanation?" Clint frowns.

"It's a long story," Steve answers him. "A story in which JARVIS recorded and Caroline had put away so when the time came, the rest of you can see it."

"I didn't feel like repeating myself," Caroline shrugs. "It gets repetitive."

The group all fall silent, everyone's gaze ping-ponging between Natasha and Caroline.

It isn't until Clint finally lays a hand on his partner's wrist, gently tapping her twice before pushing her raised arms down does Natasha holsters her weapon and Tony claps happily.

"Great! Now everyone remain calm and I'll be right back."

As Stark quickly takes his leave, Bruce tries to look at Caroline's shoulder once more but she waves him off and tells him to patch up Steve. Steve tries to deny the help but Bruce is more adamant with at least getting it cleaned out with some water.

Reluctantly, Steve rips his sleeve off since it's already bloodstained and torn, and Caroline lowly wolf-whistles to cut some of the tension in the room. Steve rolls his eyes, Bruce chuckles, and Clint barely manages to hide a grin. But the further Caroline walks into the kitchen beside Bruce, the further away Natasha puts herself from them all while keeping her gaze locked on Caroline.

By the time Stark comes back, the blood is cleaned from Steve's arm and he holds his torn sleeve against the graze to keep from bleeding. Caroline had then quickly mopped up the spilled blood very mournfully, sighing wistfully as she threw the bloodied napkins away with a frown.

"Here," Tony hands Bruce a thin USB stick and a laptop. "You, Barton, and Romanoff need to watch this. What you see and hear doesn't leave the room nor do you go after Caroline to put her down," he says directly to Clint and Natasha. "If any harm befalls her after you see this, I'm cutting all ties with S.H.I.E.L.D including the funding I give them, and you can run back to Fury telling him you're the sole reason he's losing consultants. Am I understood?"

Bruce takes the offered items, nodding quickly even though the threat wasn't meant for him. Sure the Other Guy was on edge around Caroline before but after seeing Caroline and her gentleness, the Other Guy didn't feel threatened by her as much so neither did he. He doesn't know how to explain it but he figured he'd follow his gut instinct on this one and hear her story first before passing any type of judgment.

Natasha and Clint both tersely nod, and Tony nods back before looking to Caroline. "You, come with me while they get caught up. I think Pepper has some clothes that will fit you."

Caroline makes her way towards Tony with Steve still by her side, she picking at the hem of the pleated skirt of her dress. "Man, I really liked this dress, too. Now it's ruined."

Steve chuckles and casually throws an arm around her shoulders, walking leisurely into the elevator after Stark and leaving three very confused and intrigued teammates behind to watch Caroline's story for the first time.

**xXx. XxX. xXx**

By the time JARVIS has alerted them that Doctor Banner and agents Barton and Romanoff have watch Caroline's life story, Caroline follows Steve and Tony back down to the communal floor.

Pepper had been informed of the day's events, she having been pissed that Caroline was shot but let her anger go just as quickly as it had come. She gave Tony the okay to give Caroline whatever clothing he could find that would fit her which is how the vampire found herself in cutoff jean shorts that Pepper rarely wore, and a Guns-N-Roses sleeveless tee that Pepper refused to wear much to Tony's displeasure.

Pepper and Caroline wore different shoe sizes so Caroline had to tough it out and continue to wear the heels she originally had on. Though when she got a look at herself in the mirror, her heels hadn't looked that bad paired with shorts and a band tee.

Tony had told her to stop ogling herself, and then she and Steve were being led back to the elevator to go see the fallout of her secret coming out once more.

When they step out onto the communal floor, Caroline walks behind the wall of Steve and Tony but no-one is openly glaring at her. Sure, the three of them seem curious and wary- as they should be- but Caroline catches a bit of pity in the redhead's eyes when they lock gazes.

Caroline's the first to look away and nervously places herself at Tony's side instead of behind him. "So.."

Bruce, Clint, and Natasha just glance around at one another before Natasha takes a step forward. "Director Fury needs to see this."

Nothing about her voice is harsh and for that, Caroline's grateful. Still, Tony and Steve tense at their teammate's words but the vampire in question merely shrugs. "I figured you'd want to run to the head honcho," she mutters. "I'll comply but the second he mentions or even suggests I be cut into or mentally examined, I'm leaving."

Natasha nods once and now it's Clint's turn to step forward. "What was with all of Stark's voice-overs when a friend was mentioned? I know your friends are not named after the powerpuff girls or the villain monkey or any cartoon characters for that matter."

Caroline's head snaps up at Tony, his grin turning rather smug as he peers down at her. "You named someone Mojo Jojo?" she asks, barely containing her giggles. "Who?"

"Someone who is supposed to be half wolf and half vampire," Clint answers before Tony can.

And suddenly, Caroline's doubled over in laughter as everyone just stares. "You named him- I can't believe- oh my, God. I need to tell Stefan!"

"You can tell lover boy after," Tony plucks her phone from her hands.

"He's not my-"

"We have other things to attend to," he continues. "And the voice-overs are so Fury doesn't send anyone after her friends. Not everyone is as nice as Little Bit, Barton. You'll be smart to remember that."

Caroline huffs and pouts, crossing her arms over her chest while glaring all in good fun at her boss. Tony only winks back, pocketing her phone and turning back to Clint and Natasha who are under the watchful stare of Rogers. "I warned you when you moved in about hurting Caroline," he tells both agents. "But since you're both calm after having heard her story, I'll let it slide this once. Don't make that mistake again."

Caroline's more than a little shocked with the protectiveness that Steve's showing on her behalf but she's also elated because let's be real. Captain America is protecting her. Her!

"Alright, well, if we're doing this, can we do this now," Caroline steps in front of Steve to block the redhead from his glare.

Clint nods, pulling free a phone from his pocket and placing a call to whoever it is they have to see now. Turning to Bruce, Caroline catches his curious gaze upon her and grins. "Doctor Banner, if there's something eating away at you, just ask."

He startles at her knowing stare, gaping a bit before closing his mouth shut and staring at her shoulder that was bloody earlier. "You healed. You said vampire blood can heal, yes?"

"Yes."

"But how- I don't know- I'm sorry," he says as he shakes his head. "It's just, I'm a man of science and this all makes no sense."

Caroline giggles and steps toward him, sighing in relief when he doesn't back away from her. "After we go visit the one-eyed man, you can run my blood."

His eyes widen. "But you said-"

"I know what I said," she smiles slowly. "But you- I trust you more than a secret agency. You won't hurt me like they would. They'd take without asking because they'd think it's their right especially since they're supposed to know about stuff like this, but you? You would ask because you've been in my position before and hunted down for it." He gulps at her words- at the sincerity he can see in her gaze and numbly nods. "Pepper told me; I hope that's okay. I didn't know until recently."

Again, he numbly nods and Tony cackles. "You should've seen her reaction, Doc. She couldn't believe that her fluffy haired scientist was actually the Hulk!"

Steve and Clint both snort, and Caroline elbows Tony a little too harshly. "I didn't call him mine, you jerk! Stop trying to stir up drama."

Tony rubs at his now sore side with a grimace while everyone watches on in amusement as yet another blonde seems to have Stark wrapped around her little finger.

"Okay," Clint breaks their stare. "Our ride should be here in a few so we should head up to the roof."

Everyone mumbles and agrees, all shuffling towards the elevator but Bruce stops them. He hands over the laptop and USB to Tony, claiming he'll won't be attending the meeting since the Helicarrier still puts him at unease.

They all understand Bruce's dislike and leave him there but not before Caroline assures him that she'll save time for him soon so he can ask whatever it is he's curious about. He smiles gratefully and bids the group farewell.

**xXx. XxX. xXx**

This is the second time that Caroline's found herself directly across from Director Fury. Only this time, his two intimidating agents are standing behind Tony and Steve on her side instead of the one-eyed man's side.

Fury closes the lid of the laptop, his gaze falling to the USB sticking out of the computer's port before Tony leans forward and snatches up both in his grasp. Fury then plants his elbows atop his desk, his gaze narrowing on the people before him as he steeples his pointer fingers beneath his chin.

"So you expect me to believe vampires are real?"

No-one speaks and Caroline boldly leans forward in her seat, her features shifting right in front of Fury himself. "Yes."

He doesn't seem all that surprised but he does sigh as if this information annoys him. "And you drink blood?"

"Yes. You just heard everything," Caroline gives a sigh of her own. "I drink from blood bags and that one agent whose throat I ripped out was because he shot me in the head and was about to shoot Pepper. I went on the defensive."

Fury nods and then leans back in his own chair. "Does you being a vampire have anything to do with the newbie Hydra agents easily answering your questions and then ours?"

"Again, yes," she answers him. And before he can even ask, she goes ahead and tells him. "Among our talents that you just heard, there's another thing we can do called compulsion. We can compel people to do things that they wouldn't normally do."

"Like mind control," Fury deadpans and the way he says it has Caroline gulping uneasily.

"Like mind control," she agrees with a heavy heart. "That agent wasn't going to talk so I simply compelled him to give me the answers I wanted. And then before we boarded the jet, I compelled them to behave, be quiet, and to answer whatever questions it was that S.H.I.E.L.D had for them."

She can feel the tension rise in the room, her sluggish heart picking up in speed at how everyone is going to view her now. There was a reason why she didn't explain what compulsion was. Not many people were too keen on being close to someone who could easily control them.

"Do you compel people often," Clint quietly asks.

When Caroline turns to face him, his form is way too tense and she feels bad for making him feel that uncomfortable. "No. I only compel if it's a life or death situation. Or if someone sees something they're not supposed to." She can practically feel the unease wafting off of him as he holds her gaze, she being the first to fidget and then frown guiltily. "Okay, so I compelled a girl once. But it was her fault," she's quick to defend when Natasha takes a step toward Clint to put herself between him and Caroline. "She was hitting on my boyfriend at a party and I was newly turned. I couldn't tone down the jealousy, I didn't know how, so I simply told her to go away."

Natasha, as well as the whole room, freezes and then the russian's lips twitch faintly that no-one sees it except for Caroline. Clint finally snorts, Tony starts snickering, and Steve mumbles about Caroline being the most innocent  _other_ he's ever come across.

When Clint and Natasha are at ease once more, Caroline turns her attention back to the Director. "But if you're at unease with my kind because of that one talent we have, there is a way so you won't be vulnerable."

"What is it," he demands.

"Vervain. Given the right amount, it can be lethal to my kind," she explains. "It's a plant that my friend- who's also a vampire- grows in his basement. And if you're wondering why a vampire is growing it, it's because while we can't compel each other, the Original of our kind  _can_. So with that said, we put a bit of vervain in what we drink even if it pains us to do so and work our tolerance of it up."

"When I lived back in Mystic Falls, since humans can't smell or taste it, we put vervain in the town's water supply so other vampires couldn't try to compel or snack on our people since the vervain would eventually enter their bloodstream."

"And how can we get our hands on some of that," Tony asks. "As much as I adore you, I don't want to be mind whammied."

"No worries, Boss," Caroline sadly grins at him. "I'd never mess with any minds here unless you wanted me to. And as for getting some, I can have some delivered to the Tower since apparently _Johnny Bravo_  grows it."

Caroline can't help the laugh that escapes her, she having heard the nicknames Tony had added over her voice of saying her friends' true name, Stefan being Johnny Bravo in this case.

"And us?" Fury asks. "I don't want my agents being vulnerable."

The vampire purses her lips in thought, peering over her shoulder at the agents standing there and waiting for an answer as well. "The two of you still going to bunk at the Tower or was that just an excuse for the main man to figure me out?"

"We're staying," Clint answers.

"Good. I'll place a call to my friend and have him come to the Tower. I'll have him show you how to keep up with a garden of vervain only if the garden is at the Tower. If anyone aboard this ship needs some, you can deliver it yourself. I don't want everyone finding out about me or my kind."

Clint nods but Fury scowls. "This is too big of a secret to keep, Miss Forbes. People should know."

"Excuse me," she whirls on him and yep, there's that tension again. "People shouldn't know, Director. My kind and the others make sure to keep their lifestyle a secret and should someone find out, well then that's were compulsion comes in. The only reason I didn't compel Steve, Tony, and Pepper is because I've come to value their friendship. If others find out, it'll cause a panic. You'll pin people against people and let me tell you, Director, that'd be a very bad idea."

"Is that a threat?" he suddenly straightens up.

"No, it's a fact. Right now, witches and werewolves and vampires are only worried about each other. They could care less about what else is going on around them. But the second you- the humans- target the  _other_ kind, they'll put aside their differences and band together. And let me tell you, they will come out on top."

"So you just expect us to sit around like lambs waiting to be slaughtered?!"

"No, I expect you to put some trust in the one vampire you already have on your side," Caroline grits out. "I can share all my knowledge with the people present in this room and have them started on vervain. When you get a shipment in, you can start spiking the drinks of everyone else here for all I care. But should you run into something  _other_ , then you call in the Avengers or have someone call me. I'm not the only good vampire out there but right now, I'm the only one willing to give a helping hand."

Fury can only stare, his jaw clenching tightly as he fights off the urge to let his eye twitch at being told what to do by someone who wasn't even human.

"Fine.. but the second this goes South, it's on you."


	11. Chapter 11

The second everyone had made it back to the Tower, they were greeted by Pepper and Bruce. They had immediately wanted to know what happened all the while Pepper gave Natasha the cold shoulder. And even when the two ladies caught each other's gazes, Natasha couldn't help but be impressed with the amount of heat Pepper could put into her glare.

Caroline had explained everything as best as she could, giving apologies to Bruce for having to leave so quickly because she needed to go home and check on her mother while also placing a few phone calls to some people, but told him that she'd gladly talk to him sometime during the week about whatever he wanted to know. He had completely understood and right before Caroline could leave, she pulled Pepper aside and politely asked to not be so hard on agent Romanoff because she was only doing what came naturally. Finding out that monsters do go bump in the night that are from your own world is a lot to take in, and both agents Romanoff and Barton had understandable reactions.

Pepper reluctantly agrees after giving Natasha one last heated glare to which Tony snickers at, and then Caroline's given the day off to clean up her mess that she created by spilling the vampire secret to a not-so-secret government agency.

When she gets home in the clothes she obviously hadn't left the house in, Liz immediately wants to know what happened. So Caroline being the good daughter that she is, tells her everything but skirts around naming S.H.I.E.L.D because Liz doesn't need to get into that. Her mom doesn't look too comfortable knowing that an agency knows the vampire, werewolf, and witch secret now but Caroline can't-  _won't_ \- compel her new friends to suddenly forget everything and she won't compel her mom to not worry.

So while Liz worries, Caroline settles down in the kitchen with a mug of blood and places a call to Stefan.

When she has him on the line, she asks if she can speak freely and when she's given the okay, she just breaks down and tells him everything. She apologizes for outing their secret, even if the agency doesn't know them by name, but they know anyway and she's terrified because it's not only her that they know about. They know there are others- some of which are her closest of friends- and she doesn't know what to do.

She's messed up.

She tells him that the Avengers actually seem quite interested in knowing about them but it's their boss that she doesn't trust. She doesn't really trust Natasha either but if anything were to happen, Clint seems like he'd try to talk her down from whatever it is she might attempt to do.

And instead of getting mad, Stefan calms her down. He tells her it's fine, that people she was close with were better finding out now than later down the road when they had become closer and their friendships wouldn't be so easily fixed.

He tells her he has to tell the others, though, and he'd try to keep Damon from doing anything irrational which might be hard considering the stubborn ass that he is. She's pretty sure Fury won't send anyone to keep tabs on them but she still tells Stefan that if anyone seems suspicious, to please not kill any of them. If they turn out to be agents, she asks that they only compel their minds clean and send them away from the town. And if they're on vervain then it's perfectly fine to hold them hostage until the vervain's out of their system before compelling them. She'd deal with the fallout herself should Fury get pissed.

Stefan agrees and Caroline quickly thanks him but then adds on that her new friends would like to start their own vervain garden at the Tower and Stefan sighs, telling her he'd think of something. So with Mystic Falls out of the way, Caroline goes back through her contacts and hovers over Klaus' name.

She hasn't spoken to him in a long while but since his existence as well as his family's is out in the open with S.H.I.E.L.D, he has the right to know as well. And she's not all that shocked when Klaus is annoyed at finding out a government agency knows their secret. It's not like he or his siblings can be killed but Caroline still tells him to tell the others to be careful as well as compelling anyone suspicious away from his city and family.

Klaus complies and after that's out of the way, he actually converses with her about her well-being. She doesn't tell him that her mother is sick but she does tell him that she left Mystic Falls behind because the petty drama was getting old.

He's actually proud that she got away, wishes her all the best, and then hangs up after telling her that should anything suspicious come up, he'd give her a call.

* * *

When Caroline gets back into the swing of things and starts brainstorming for yet another Stark event that's to take place at a Children's Hospital of all places, she's surprised to find agent Barton discreetly following her around.

His brief stalking doesn't seem malicious is any way so Caroline lets it go and often finds amusement when she can perfectly hear the almost inaudible squeaks that the ventilation shafts make when too much weight is in them.

On this particular day, however, Caroline didn't stop by to pick up her usual coffee or anyone else's for that matter. So when she gets into her office, she makes sure she doesn't have anything that needs her attention right away before shrugging out of her cardigan and heading for her floor's small communal kitchen.

She's turning change over in her hands as she stares at the various snacks that are presented before her in a vending machine, her eyes landing on the plain salty potato chips towards the bottom. Seeing that those are the only salty items in there, Caroline buys herself two bags.

The soda vending machine next to the snacks has just dropped her Cola when an ominous creak sounds above her, a low chuckle escaping her as she takes a seat at the small round table with her quick snack. "One of these days, agent Barton, you're going to fall from the ceiling and you'll only have yourself to blame."

There's a snort from up above as Caroline tilts her head upward towards the nearest vent, grinning when the cover is pulled open and said agent drops in feet first. She snaps open one bag of chips and eagerly pops one chip into her mouth.

"Caroline," he greets her, taking a seat as Caroline seems to sag in relief at the use of her first name.

"Clint."

"Feeling peckish?" he asks. "The saltiness curves the craving, right?"

"Yeah," she mumbles. "I didn't eat what I normally eat this morning so I'm a bit hungrier than normal. And this type of food," her nose wrinkles as yet another salty chip hits her tongue. "Isn't exactly cutting it at the moment."

"Excellent! Then what I'm about to purpose might just have you saying yes."

"And that is?"

"I want you to bite me."

"What," Caroline squeaks, nearly choking down her Cola instead of letting it slide easily down her throat. "You want me to-"

"Bite me."

Caroline huffs a laugh, shaking her head. "No."

"No?"

"Yeah, no," she tells Clint. "The vampire secret just came out and I don't think everyone is as comfortable with it as they seem. Not to mention your partner, agent Romanoff, shot at me three times and hit me twice. Do you really think I'm stupid enough to risk her wrath like that again?"

"Nat knows that I wanted to ask you this," he waves her off. " We all ready fought about it, and Tony and Bruce actually got your schedule cleared for the day because Bruce wanted to run some of your blood to look for anomalies or whatever."

There's a beat of silence before Caroline scoffs. "You're crazy."

"I just want to see if it actually hurts," his lips twitch in amusement. "Or if it's as pleasurable as all these modern authors write in their romance novels."

"Ew." Her nose wrinkles at his words, Clint finally laughing out loud and completely at ease. Caroline can hear the elevator doors slide open on the floor, her hearing zoning in on the footfalls and heartbeat of the person before she figures out who it is. "What do you want, Tony?" she calls out before he even comes into view.

His easy going grin greets them, his gaze landing on Clint first. "Oh, good. You found her." Then turning to Caroline, he gestures her over to the doorway. "Come. Bruce is waiting for you."

"You guys are crazy," she chuckles at them. "I understand Bruce wanting me to come up to the labs but Clint? I have work to do and it's not nice to ask a hungry vampire to bite you!"

"I was gonna let you have a sip."

She glares at him all in good fun and Tony makes his way to her. "Yeah and plus, someone made a generous blood donation to a mug upstairs that has your name written on it. We planned ahead so come on. Get up and get your ass in the elevator."

"I'm pretty sure, that as my boss, you can't talk about my butt."

"And I'm pretty sure normal employees don't punch their boss for fun." Tony fires back. "Now up. I've cleared you for the day with Pepper. Let's go!"

"Urgh! You guys are so annoying."

Clint and Tony can only smirk at each other as Caroline clutches her chips in one hand and her can of Cola in the other, feet stomping out of the room and down the hall towards the elevator.

**xXx. XxX. xXx**

Caroline sits atop a metal table, legs dangling and ankles crossed. Since she's in a sleeveless dress, Bruce has easy access to the crook of her arm where he plans to take blood from her. And after a serious discussion mentioning that Bruce is the only one to experiment with her blood and that no-one else can, everyone agrees to let Caroline call the shots on that.

Everyone agrees that it's best all experiments be manned by Bruce, and Bruce starts to eagerly prep needles and vials to hold the blood.

"So vampires burning in the sun holds some truth to it, you know, without the daylight spelled jewelry," Clint gestures to Caroline's ring. "But what about werewolves? Are they powerful all the time or only on the full moon?"

"Full moon," Caroline answers. She hadn't expected Clint to take to her so quickly but she's not going to question it. It's nice to have more friends than enemies. "They're all bark and no bite up until the night of the full moon. I mean, I should know considered I dated one and all."

"You dated a werewolf?" Tony snorts. "Of course, you did."

"Yeah, well, he's sort of human now," she shrugs. "He started off human until he accidentally activated the werewolf gene. Then Klaus turned him into a hybrid, he was possessed by a gypsy who eventually took over his body and killed his soul, and then he was brought back to life as a human again. Only now, he has to be careful to not activate the wolf gene again unless he wants to go through painful transformations every full moon so he's been travelling around trying to stay all zen-like."

"Supernatural, man," Clint shakes his head. "I gotta say; I'm pretty glad to be human."

"You and me both," Tony agrees.

"Not gonna lie," Caroline fondly grins. "I miss it sometimes."

The group falls silent at her admission, Natasha being the first one to break it after assessing everything she could about the blonde vampire. The redhead wouldn't admit that she was curious about all things supernatural so she naturally stuck to being the furthest away from the group. "Holy water and churches; fact or myth?"

"Myth," Caroline's lips twitch as she turns to face the redhead. "I've been to a lot of funerals as a vampire. We don't burn if we step foot inside a church or when holy water is splashed on us."

She nods in contentment, crossing her arms across her chest and leaning against the wall as Clint snaps his fingers as if he's got a good question. "Stake to the heart?"

"A bit of fact and myth, actually." Caroline's brow furrows as she thinks about it, Bruce then pausing Clint's Q&A for a moment, telling the blonde vampire that he's about to start with the extraction of blood. Caroline nods with a smile, holding her arm out for Bruce to tap a vein and turns her attention back to Clint. "For regular vampires, fire and decapitation will work or just damage the heart and you're good," she tells him. "Hybrids, you might wanna decapitate them in order for them to stay down, and the Originals.. they're basically immortal."

"But they can die," Natasha's quick to blurt, leaning forward from her wall, gaze ping-ponging from the vials of blood Bruce is filling to Caroline's face. "You said that before."

"I know I did," she agrees. "But there's only one thing in existence that can kill an Original. A stake fashioned out of white oak- a type of tree that the Original family destroyed long ago before they realized some of it stayed- that they are now in possession of. Anything else, they'll just bounce right back from."

"Okay," Bruce mumbles. "That should be about it," he says, pulling out a band-aid for Caroline's arm but the second he sees the small wound heal, he chuckles and pockets the bandage."Thank you for your contribution to science, Miss Forbes."

He helps her hop off the table, Caroline grinning all the while. "No problem, Doc. Now where's my mug of blood I was promised, Stark," she asks as she turns towards Tony. "I've been a good test subject."

Tony rolls his eyes but retrieves said mug, nose crinkling at the red liquid sloshing around inside. "Here you go. Knock yourself out. I never thought that seeing my own blood would make me so queasy."

Caroline's practically bouncing on the balls of her feet, cupping the mug in her hands as she brings the rim up to her mouth and sips. The black veins beneath her eyes pulse in pleasure but no-one startles at it. In fact, it only makes them more curious.

"Do those feel weird at all?" Clint asks.

When she opens her eyes, Caroline finds Clint inching closer. "Does what feel weird?"

"The veins," he gestures to his own face where the veins would have been had he been a vampire, and Caroline shakes her head.

"I don't really feel them."

"Can I?" he then asks.

When she cracks open her eyes again, Caroline pulls the mug away from her face and tilts her head in confusion at Clint. "You want to feel my face?"

"Well, yeah. Are your fangs out, too? Are they as sharp as I think they are? Can I feel those as well?"

Caroline can only blink owlishly as Tony snorts at Clint's curiosity, Bruce stares at the agent as if he just grew a second head, and Natasha shakes her head rather fondly behind her partner's back.

"You can feel the veins," Caroline finally answers him. "But you're not sticking your fingers in my mouth."

"Well then bite me," he sighs and Caroline can see Natasha tense in her peripheral vision. "I told you to bite me earlier but you wouldn't."

"I gave you my reasons why," she defends herself as Clint's fingers near her face, fingers brushing over the tiny raised veins beneath her eyes.

"Huh. That's weird," he mumbles before peering over his shoulder at his partner. "Nat, tell Caroline you won't shoot her if she bites me. I just want to see how much it hurts or doesn't."

Natasha glares at Clint for a few seconds, her gaze finally meeting Caroline's before she clenches her jaw and shrugs as if the decision wasn't up to her. Caroline mentally groans, downing the rest of the blood in the mug before setting it down and squaring her shoulders.

"Fine. If we're doing this, we're doing this my way," she tells him and can't help but chuckle at the obvious glee he's emanating. "I'm not biting the neck or wrist. Instead, I'll bite the inner forearm."

"S'fine," he grins. "I just want to feel whether it's painful or-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know," she cuts him off with a wrinkle of her nose. "Let's just get this over with."

Clint eagerly showcases his inner forearm for her, fist clenching and unclenching in anticipation. Everyone else gathers around, Natasha even moving closer from her position to get a better look.

Cradling Clint's arm in her hands, Caroline sighs before bringing it closer to her mouth and everyone watches as the veins pulse darker beneath her eyes. "Don't say I didn't warn you." Her fangs are barely visible from between her lips but the second she opens her mouth wide to latch onto Clint's arm, they get a full view of fangs and Clint's grimacing as said fangs pierce his flesh.

"Okay, that's so not sexy," he grumbles and Caroline pulls her fangs free.

Licking at her lips as she straightens up, she chuckles and wills away the monster's visage as Bruce steps in to clean Clint's arm. "Now you know."

"Now I know," he agrees and Natasha finally snorting at the situation they've found themselves in before leaving the room.

* * *

Caroline knew this was bound to happen but she honestly hadn't expected it to now.

One day, Caroline and her mom had been happy and content to sit in their apartment to talk about Caroline's work and whatever Liz had watched on TV that day, to Caroline getting up for work and Liz just waving Caroline off that she'd be up later.

Caroline had thought nothing of it, throwing away her mom's breakfast and making lunch when the time had come. Again, Liz waved her off claiming to be too tired for some reason and she'd get up later when she got hungry. Even though Caroline was a bit puzzled over her mom not getting out of bed, she let it slide and went to work as usual.

All throughout work, Caroline's mind kept traveling back to her mom. She texted her more than usual and received the usual replies. But when she got home, everything was not as fine as Liz had led her daughter to believe. Liz's lunch is still untouched in the kitchen and as Caroline nears her mother's room, the very obvious stench of urine penetrates her senses. Caroline enters the room with a heavy heart, her mother instantly erupting in tears and apologies as Caroline finds her lying in soiled sheets.

Caroline had fought back tears, told her mother it was fine but then started firing off question after question of why she just didn't call her. As she helped her mother up, Caroline found that Liz could barely hold her own weight up so she practically carried her mother into the bathroom and stripped her of her clothing before lowering her into the tub.

As Caroline found the perfect temperature for her mom, Liz went on to explain that she didn't call because she didn't want her to worry. Liz was happy to finally see her daughter living as normal as a life here and she didn't want her to stop all of that just to take care of her sick mother.

But Caroline argued back as she helped her mother clean herself, arguing about how it was her job to take care of her now. Liz didn't think so and Caroline had to leave the bathroom to cool off and strip her mother's bed clean before she said something she would regret later.

Later in the night after Caroline had ordered them some dinner, she tried talking her mother into hiring a caretaker since Liz didn't want Caroline to drop her work. But again, Liz argued that it wasn't necessary. They argued some more and eventually, Caroline carried Liz to sleep in her room since Caroline had to clean the mattress in Liz's room.

The following day, Caroline had called into work and explained to Pepper what was going on. Caroline ended up in tears, she confessing that she doesn't know what she's going to do but Pepper assures her that she'll have it handled. She doesn't know what Pepper had meant until the following afternoon when Caroline was getting ready to cook her mother some lunch.

A knock sounds on their apartment door, Caroline sighing at having to greet a guest. So plastering on a fake smile, said smile falters when Caroline opens the door only to find agent Romanoff standing in the hallway.

"What are you doing here?"

"I just thought I'd drop in and visit your mom," Natasha answers with a shrug. "She's an ex-Sheriff of a vampire invested town and I'm sure she has plenty of stories that I can pick her brain of." Caroline frowns in confusion and Natasha practically rolls her eyes. "Stories that can possibly  _take all day long to be told._ Possibly as long as your work day."

Caroline's slow on the uptake but when she figures it out, her eyes widen in surprise. "Oh."

"Yeah, oh. At least this way, someone will be with her when you're at work."

"But- but why?" Caroline murmurs. "You don't exactly like me."

"It's not that I don't like you, it's just- it's hard to be around someone who has the ability to control your mind."

"But I'm getting you lot vervain so that won't happen."

"And when we get it, I'll be less hostile." Caroline sighs and Natasha's shoulders slump just the slightest. "It's not you, Caroline, it's just what you're capable of."

And she gets that- she does- but it still stings to hear it. But since that is the least of her worries right now, Caroline shakes her head clear and remembers the reason Natasha is standing in her hallway. "Right, well, thank you. Come on in."

Caroline leads Natasha to where her Mom is currently at; the living room being the place that Caroline set her up in since that's where the TV is at. She tells her mom that Natasha is interested in the shenanigans that she got up to in Mystic Falls as a vampire council member, and that while she fills Natasha in on all the good times, she'll just run real quick to Stark Industries to check up on her current work load and see what she can bring on home.

Liz sees right through what her daughter and Natasha are doing but she chooses not to call them out on it. Instead, she gathers up what strength she has and tells the redhead stories of her time as the Sheriff of Mystic Falls.

* * *

Since Liz had refused a caretaker, Caroline suddenly finds herself with caretakers nonetheless in the form of Natasha, Clint, and Steve.

It's only been a few days but Liz doesn't argue when either agents Romanoff and Barton swing in for a visit of story time. Even Steve cashes in on story time, asking as many questions as he can about vampires and hearing how brave Liz was to go up against them even though she was human.

And then one day at work, Caroline finds Clint tailing her because Natasha and Steve are with Liz, he swaggering into her office as if he owned it. "What's with the whiteboard?" he asks right off the bat, plopping himself down on the couch in there.

Caroline turns to face said board where she's keeping score between Tony and Steve, and grins. "Steve and Tony have this little ongoing competition where they break into my office and leave doodles on the board. Which ever one I like best gets a point."

"Which explains why Steve has the most points," he chuckles. "I've seen the way the man draws. He's good."

"Yep," Caroline agrees, her attention quickly going back to that of her laptop. "So what brings you here, agent Barton?"

"Boredom. How's your mom?"

"As good as can be expected," her fingers pause their typing, hovering above the keyboard. "She started to make arrangements for her own funeral."

Clint freezes at that, his gaze slowly sliding to Caroline's in shock. "She's that bad?"

"The doctors expected her to die nearly two years ago. We're lucky she's lasted this long."

"You seem to be taking it well."

"It's because I have work to distract me."

Clint watches as Caroline gulps, her eyes darting all over the place before she takes a deep breath and slowly lets it out. She doesn't pay him any mind and instead chooses to type away on her laptop. But the more he stares, the more he can see the tension in her frame and the way it looks as if she's not really paying all that much attention to what's on the screen before her.

Before he can do or say anything else, Tony strolls in and tosses a blue book atop her desk and next to her laptop. "You! You are not allowed to introduce Pepper to anything anymore."

Again, Caroline pauses in her work only this time, her lips slowly form an amused grin. "And why is that," she says as she rights the book.

"You know damn well why! This is the third time I've walked in on Pepper crying her eyes out over some Augustus kid."

Caroline lowly giggles and leans back in her chair, the complete opposite of what Clint had just seen. And wanting to know what the big deal is, he stands up only to lean over and retrieve the book. "What's so great about this that had Pepper in tears?"

"It's not good; it's evil," Tony hisses before marching out the same way he had come in. "No more, Forbes! I mean it."

Caroline snorts at his retreat, cocking an eyebrow as Clint reads what the book is about. "When my Mom started getting sicker, I went to a bookstore to purchase books about cancer so I could read up on what to expect. The saleswoman- teenager, really- suggested this," she gestures to the book in Clint's hands. "-and said it was worth a pleasurable read. So silly me, I buy it and end up a sobbing mess the day I finished reading it. I obviously had to get someone else in on the greatness that is Hazel Grace and Augustus Waters so I let Pepper borrow it."

"Huh."

Caroline has to bite the inside of her cheek as Clint continues to read, this time moving from the back cover of the book to the first page of the novel. When Caroline clears her throat, his grip tightens on the book before he subtly grasps it in one hand and tries his best to stealthily hide it behind his leg.

"Yeah, well, I should be going," he tells her, coughing to hide the fact he was sneaking her book out. "I have.. arrows to shoot. Or something."

"Mhm. You go and do that," she smiles sweetly in return.

Clint nods along in agreement, rubbing the back of his neck nervously with his free hand, and turns rather quickly all the while he thinks he discreetly hid the book from Caroline's view.

* * *

No-one's sure why Pepper, Caroline, and Clint are suddenly missing but Natasha, Tony, Steve, and Bruce (Tony had to bring his fellow science bro into the hunt) suddenly find themselves crammed into the elevator and are on their way up to Tony's loft.

It started with Steve looking for Caroline, he checking every floor that he thought she'd be only to turn up empty handed. So Steve went to Tony asking if he had sent Caroline out on an errand but Tony only shrugged and directed him to Pepper. But Pepper, too, was missing so Steve went back to Tony whose interest was now piqued that both his favorite ladies were missing.

The two men dragged Bruce along for the goose chase as they ran into Natasha on the communal floor, they asking if she'd seen either women but Natasha hadn't and then mentioned that she hadn't seen Clint for a few hours either.

So with three people now missing, the four-some went on a hunt of the normal floors of Stark Tower that they knew their friends could be. Only when they came up with nothing and Tony was bordering on having a full blown anxiety attack, Steve called for JARVIS and asked if their missing friends were still in Tower which is how the four-some found themselves heading up to the loft.

The whole ride up there, Tony made fun of themselves for not having turned to JARVIS in the first place, and when they get off on the floor of Tony and Pepper's loft, they all fall silent at the scene before them.

The lighting in the room is dim as the flat screen mounted on the wall plays what appears to be one of the saddest sounding movies ever. Pepper and Caroline are sobbing as they lean on each other for support, and Clint's off to the side clutching a pillow to his chest while trying to discreetly wipe at his suspiciously glossy eyes.

No-one makes a sound and as one, they retreat back into the elevator.

It's only when they're a few floors down that Tony finally loses it and starts laughing. Bruce and Steve are no better, although the two of them are at least trying to stifle their amusement.

"JARVIS," Natasha's lips twitch in amusement, the scene still fresh on her mind. "What were they watching?"

" _I believe the film was titled The Fault in Our Stars, agent Romanoff."_

And just like that, Tony's laughter ceases. "Seriously?! It's a movie, too!"

" _Agent Barton purchased the film early this morning and then rounded up the ladies for a viewing party."_

"Thanks, JARVIS. And can you do me a huge favor, and send the video of agent Barton viewing the movie to my phone, please?"

" _Of course, agent Romanoff."_

Natasha smirks rather deviously, and Steve and Bruce can't hold in their laughter in anymore.

Clint was never going to live this down.


	12. Chapter 12

Caroline had just stepped off the stoop of her apartment building- having just finished cooking lunch a mere ten minutes ago for Steve who was staying with her Mom today- and runs straight into the hard form of a person. She was too busy searching her bag for her phone that she hadn't seen anyone standing in front of her, and only looked up when strong cool hands wrapped around her biceps.

"Whoa, there," Stefan's amused grin greets her. "Are you always this distracted when walking the streets of New York?"

"Stefan!"

He only has a split second before arms are wrapped around his neck, he supporting all of Caroline's weight as she hug attacks him. He gives her a couple of seconds before patting her back and chuckling, and then sets her back down on her own two feet.

"How are you doing, Care? How's your mom?" Her smile falters and she tries to quickly mask it, but Stefan catches it anyway. "What happened?"

"She's gotten sicker to the point she can't move around on her own anymore." Her best friend is shocked by the news, his face going slack. "I've been trying to work from home as much as I can but Mom keeps sending me back to the Tower."

"So she stays alone?!"

"No. No!" she's quick to assure him. "Natasha, Steve, or Clint stay with her when I go into work. They have a rotation set up and my Mom surprisingly enjoys their company now that they have no ulterior motives."

"That's- I can't- wow," Stefan breathes in shocked awe. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know it was that bad," he says and pulls her into a comforting hug. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"'Cause of Mom," Caroline tells him, voice muffled by his shoulder. "She didn't want anyone to make a big deal about it."

Stefan can understand where Liz is coming from, she being one of the most independent women he's ever met. But for her to have at-home caretakers- one of them being Captain America- he can't help but snort at the thought as a grin twists his lips.

"What?" Caroline asks.

"Nothing. It's just- your Mom is being babysat by an Avenger. How crazy is that?"

"It's just Steve."

"And that- that right there," he finally chuckles. "Who would have thought that you'd be on first name basis with an Avenger?"

Caroline finally joins in on the chuckles, letting the worry over her Mom slink away. "What are you doing here, if you don't mind me asking. You usually text or call before visiting."

Shrugging, Stefan tucks his hands into his pockets and gestures down the street where his car is parked. "Well, you asked for vervain so I brought some. It's already been cut and everything so they'll have to start the garden another time but there's enough for at least half a year in the trunk of my car."

"That's still good," she assures him. "Why don't you grab the bag I'm pretty sure you brought it in and you can join me at the Tower with the others."

**xXx. XxX. xXx**

Stefan had been a bit hesitant to enter the Tower where the supposed superheroes lived, he just wanting to give Caroline the bag of vervain and then be on his merry way. But since this was Caroline he was speaking with, she managed to drag him along and into Stark Tower, leading them towards a private elevator that was just out of view from regular visitors.

Once settled inside the elevator with Stefan at her side, Caroline hesitated with her finger hovering over the panel of buttons. And instead of pressing one, she frowns and tilts her head upward. "JARVIS, where's Tony at right in this moment?"

" _Sir appears to be in the labs with Doctor Banner,"_ said AI answers, startling Stefan along the way.

"Don't worry," she quickly assures her best friend. "JARVIS is just an AI that Tony built. He's the eyes and ears around here." And then turning her attention back towards the top corner of the elevator, Caroline smiles sweetly. "Is Stark busy? Stefan's here with the vervain and well, he doesn't exactly have access to the top floors like I do. Tell him the vampires are requesting a meeting."

" _Of course, Miss Caroline. One moment, please."_

Caroline smiles contently and feeling Stefan's gaze on her, she turns to him. "What?" she then chuckles nervously.

"Nothing," he shakes his head in amusement. "It's just- you're so comfortable talking with the AI and calling Tony Stark just  _Tony._ I know I was amazed earlier that you're on a first name basis with these people but it's one thing to think it and a whole different story to see it."

Again, Caroline chuckles as she shakes her own head, her blonde curls bouncing. "You'll get used to it."

" _Miss Caroline, Sir has requested both the presence of you and Mr. Salvatore on the family floor. He will meet you in the elevator on your way up."_

"Alright, thank you, JARVIS."

" _It's been my pleasure, Miss Caroline."_

"It's like he's flirting with you," Stefan murmurs as Caroline presses a button on the panel to take them upward. She only grins in response and leans against the back wall, eyeing her best friend and taking glee in the fact that he seems nervous. "So what should I expect?"

"Well, Steve's with my mom so you don't have to worry about being well-mannered in front of Captain America," she shrugs. "And if Tony's rounding everyone up, well then be aware of Natasha. She has the uncanny ability to make you feel threatened but it's only because she's wary of our kind and our little compelling trick."

"And Natasha would be?"

Caroline startles, she only just remembering that while Stefan knew of Steve and Tony, he didn't know about the others because their identities weren't public knowledge as of yet. So worrying her bottom lip nervously, she eventually sighs. "We're going to have so much paperwork to sign," she grumbles before answering her friend. "Natasha is the Black Widow. She'll be the beautiful redhead. Beautiful but very deadly. Remember that."

"Right," he drawls. "Another Avenger. Only this one shot you twice."

"Exactly."

"Okay. Next?" And yeah, that didn't phase him at all.

"Tony's a bit much," she tells him. "He's a bit like Damon only he doesn't kill people. He'll try to get under your skin about me- he thinks there's something between us- but just let it slide. I do. Then there's Doctor Banner," she continues on, not wanting to go into detail about Stark's obsession between the two of them. "Banner is the fluffy haired scientist who's quiet. He'll also put you on edge because- because he's the Hulk but trust me!" she's quick to continue on when that earns her wide eyes and a now tense vampire. "Bruce is a good guy. He wouldn't hurt you unless you threatened him or his friends."

It takes a moment for Stefan to calm, he finally nodding. "So what you're basically saying is that Tony Stark and Doctor Banner are the human versions of Damon and myself."

Caroline opens her mouth to retort but comes up short. Her mouth snaps shut with a click and a hand comes up to cover her mouth as she starts laughing. "I hadn't thought of it like that!"

She's still laughing when the elevator comes to a stop, Tony already smirking at the two of them when the doors open and Doctor Banner at his side as he shakes his head in exasperation.

"Well would you look at this, Brucie," Tony says a little too sweetly. "The not-so-secret boyfriend has finally decided to grace us with his presence."

Stefan's lips twitch and Caroline stops laughing only to groan in response. "Seriously?!"

"What?" he feigns innocence, sauntering into the elevator with Bruce at his back. "That was tame compared to what I originally wanted to say. You're just lucky Pepper adores you."

"Thank god for Pepper," Caroline quickly retorts before turning to her best friend. "Stefan, Tony Stark and Bruce Banner," she introduces them. "Guys, my best friend Stefan Salvatore."

"Friend? Right." Tony scoffs with a roll of his eyes before leaning forward and offering his hand for a shake. "So I take it you brought the stuff," his gaze falls to the bag hanging off of Stefan's shoulder.

"Uh, yeah," Stefan smirks. "I guess you can say that."

"Excellent."

Bruce sighs yet again but this time, there's a small grin to show his amusement in the situation. He's quick to introduce himself to Stefan, though, and Stefan now understands what Caroline meant by the man putting him on edge. He can feel something dark about the middle-aged man, something not quite right but if Caroline said he was a good guy, well then he was going to trust her judgment.

Since Tony was quick to ramble about Pepper not being able to make it to the meeting because she was stuck in other important meetings, no-one had time to prepare Stefan for Clint because the floor of the labs was only a few floors below the family room. So needless to say, he's totally unprepared for Clint's child-like curiosity.

The doors to the elevator open, and Bruce, Tony, and Caroline all walk out without even a glance over their shoulders. And it isn't until Stefan clears his throat rather loudly do they stop in their tracks and turn around.

"Uh, vampire, remember? No invite, no entrance."

Caroline lightly face-palms herself for forgetting about that, Bruce's eyes light up in curiosity, and Tony is outright smirking. "Wait a minute, that's not a myth? Vampires actually need an invite to enter a home?!"

Clint comes skidding in from the kitchen, eyes wide in awe as he stares at Stefan who's still stuck in the elevator. "Vampires have to be invited in?! Why didn't I know this?"

"Because you didn't ask," Caroline deadpans before turning to Tony. "Invite him in, please."

"Wait, wait, wait," Clint stops Tony from inviting him in. "What happens if we don't invite him in but he tries to enter anyway?"

"Uh,  _he's_ right here," Stefan mockingly waves. "And nothing. There's a barrier that'll keep me out. See." He puts up his hand, palm out and meeting an invisible barrier keeping him from exiting the elevator. "The building itself is open to the public but from what Caroline's told me, there are some floors that are private hence the need for an invite."

"That's good to know," Natasha suddenly drawls, appearing beside Clint. "Who exactly are you again?"

"He's Stefan," Caroline groans. "Natasha and Clint, meet Stefan. Stefan, meet Natasha and Clint."

Stefan grins and nods in greeting, and Clint tilts his head to the side. "Stefan? The guy who's form Caroline's-"

"Finish that sentence," said blonde vampire flashes in front of Clint with a glare. "I dare you."

"Nope. No. I'm good," he gulps and takes a step back as Natasha smothers a grin.

"Stark, hurry and invite Stefan in or we're walking with all the vervain he's brought you."

"Mr. Salvatore," Tony hurriedly obliges Caroline's request. "Won't you please come in, Mr. Salvatore?"

Stefan steps off the elevator slowly, grinning over at Caroline who's obviously embarrassed about something, yet comfortable enough around these people that they're joking about it freely in his presence.

"So, uh, this vervain," Bruce shuffles besides Stefan as he gestures him towards a coffee table in the sitting room. "Caroline's told us some about this plant but just how lethal is it to your kind?"

"Depends on the dosage," Stefan answers, setting the duffel bag on the table. "Some of us drink a low dosage, even if it's painful, to keep us from being compelled by the Originals but anything more than a few drops will start to weaken us."

"Inject us with half a syringe full of this stuff and we're knocked out," Caroline huffs, kneeling down to open the bag.

She opens it before Stefan can stop her, the amount of vervain inside making an invisible cloud of the essence to drift upward. Caroline immediately feels the effects, coughing rather violently before flashing to the other side of the room.

"Care," Stefan doesn't bother hiding his amusement. "You okay?" he asks as everyone tenses at the sudden snarling noises the blonde vampire is hissing.

"Fine.. fine," she grumbles, slowly turning just as the vampire visage melts away. "You should have warned me."

"You're not a baby vampire anymore. You know better."

Caroline glowers at her best friend as Clint eagerly delves into the bag, pulling out plant after plant before he finds the liquidized versions of it.

"All the vervain I had was already processed, and I couldn't exactly bring everything to start your garden without making my brother suspicious," Stefan tells him. "There's instructions in there also to tell you how to process everything to liquidize it yourself."

"And this actually burns you," Clint asks just as Caroline makes her way back towards the group. Stefan nods, holding out his hand for Clint to drop the plant into his palm and when Clint does, Caroline grimaces when she hears the sizzle of skin and sees the smoke drifting upward. "Oh. Cool."

Stefan snorts and drops the plant back into the bag, clenching his hand shut as the skin quickly heals over. Everyone takes a turn reaching into the bag, pulling out plants or the bottles of liquid to study the contents. And when they've had their fill of studying, Tony's the first to turn towards Stefan with a smarmy grin.

"So. Any dirty little secrets you have about Little Bit that you're willing to share?"

Caroline groans, glaring at the side of Tony's head before said glare is directed at Stefan himself. "I don't know," Stefan lowly chuckles. "Caroline has about as much dirt on me as I do her. I'm not sure it's wise to share."

"Wise decision," Natasha mutters and Caroline nods in agreement.

But apparently, that's not enough for Tony. "Seriously?! Come on, you're older than her. You can totally take her!"

"Well.."

"Stefan," Caroline mutters in warning.

"Did Caroline ever tell you about the time she went skinny-dipping and was busted for indecent exposure? By her own mother."

Gasping, Caroline points her finger at Stefan in accusation. "Stefan fell off the roof of our school in a drunken stupor! So much for vampire reflexes," she scoffs, cheeks burning at the secret he had let loose about her.

"I might have fallen off the roof but at least I'm not that one that nearly fell on my own  _stake_  in a drunken stupor!"

"Stefan slept with Rebekah- an Original."

The words are out of her mouth before she can even stop them, her eyes slowly widening in horror at the mistake she's just made. The standing men and woman around them are all in various stages of amusement, as well as shock at the fact that Stefan slept with an Original after all the stories they've heard about said Originals.

"It was the 20's," Stefan shrugs off the secret without a care in the world, a smirk slowly turning up the corner of his lips. "But Caroline slept with Klaus- the Original hybrid- a couple years back."

Caroline gasps yet again, all eyes darting over the blonde vampire. "Katniss. Katniss!" Stark lowly hisses. "Go make some popcorn. This just got interesting."

* * *

Days after Stefan had dropped by for a visit and secrets were let loose, Tony still hadn't let Caroline live down the fact she slept with their supposed enemy back in Mystic Falls. The joking is done all in good humor, Pepper even going as far as congratulating Caroline for bagging the scruffy hybrid even if it was just for one day and making Tony pout in jealousy.

Stefan had apologized later for blurting that secret out- the environment being so easy going and fun that he forgot these were secrets for a reason but Caroline had waved off the apology. She wasn't upset in the slightest and even though their secrets were blurted out left and right, she had had fun and was glad they all got along with at least one of her friends from back home.

But now with the weekend finally here, she finally has time for her Mom once more without said woman trying to shoo her back to work.

Saturday had the two Forbes women lazing about their apartment, Caroline vegging out next to her mother as they watched trash TV for the thousandth time. And in between shows, Caroline told her mother that Stefan had dropped by, and about their secrets being put on blast which caused great amusement for the team back at the Tower. Liz had laughed, as did Caroline, and then the two were back to watching TV and forgetting all about the real world for hours.

But Sunday- Sunday was possibly the worst day of Caroline's undead life.

Usually Liz was awake in the mornings and ready for Caroline to help her get dressed for the day, but Sunday morning had Caroline forcing her mother awake. Liz had forgone breakfast yet again and eased into her usual position on the couch, tiredly clicking on the TV.

Caroline had quickly fixed herself a mug of blood but upon entering the refrigerator, she realized they were low on groceries.

"Mom, you going to be okay on your own for a bit? I need to go grocery shopping."

"Yes," Liz answers rather gruffly. "I'll be fine, sweetheart."

If Liz's unusual sleepiness hadn't tipped off Caroline to something being wrong, then the coughing fit after Liz's few mumbled words should have. But still, Caroline ignores her instinctual feelings, grabs her mother a glass of water and some pills, and makes sure her mother's comfortable before grabbing a quick shower and heading out.

She'd taken her car down to the nearest mini-shop, throwing in what groceries they needed and even adding in a few sweets that she could do without here and there. However, the entire time she spent scouring the aisles, Caroline was at unease. She didn't know why she had the sudden urge to be home, to be with her mom, but their home needed the essentials so she was going to purchase them as quickly as possible and race home.

The entire time Caroline is waiting in line to purchase groceries has her undead heart beating the fastest it has since she was turned. Her stomach is in knots and she feels like she's about to explode out of her skin. So when the bag boy asks if she needs help to her vehicle, Caroline feels guilty when she snaps at him that she could do it on her own. And with a quickly apology, she's nearly running the cart to her car and loading everything up.

By the time Caroline makes it back to her apartment building, she feels a bit better and takes a calming breath after having parked. And since there's a bit of privacy where she usually keeps her car parked, and the people of her building aren't the nosy type, Caroline doesn't bother trying to hide the fact that she can carry more weight than what she should be able to.

So instead of playing the damsel and carrying two bags at a time, Caroline loads up her arms with her purchased goods and heads for the rarely used elevator of her building.

Standing outside of her apartment door, Caroline can hear the TV playing inside. She enters with a smile and a fond shake of her head, her Mom watching  _Say Yes To The Dress_ again.

"I love that show as much as you do," Caroline laughs, winding her way to the living room. "But enough is enough. You officially have a problem." She adjusts the bag in her arms before looking up at her Mom, her smile faltering when Liz doesn't respond. "Mom?" Her head has fallen back onto the backrest of the couch, eyes open and unseeing, and the remote loosely held in her hand. Just the position her mother is in alone makes Caroline gulp in fear and her eyes sting with tears. "Mommy?"

The bags fall from Caroline's arms, she flashing to her mom's side. She kneels on the cushion beside her, her right hand brushing the bangs from Liz's forehead before her palm cups her mother's cheek. "Mom? Wake up. You need to wake up." There's obviously no response and tuning out the television show behind her, Caroline focuses her hearing on what should be her mother's heartbeat.

Only.. there is none.

"Mom!" Caroline cries now, voice cracking as the sobs suddenly wrack her body. She tries to shake Liz awake now, being as gentle as possible but still with enough force that would wake someone up. "No.. no, come on. Don't do this. Not now."

With shaky hands, Caroline leans back just far enough to retrieve her cell from her pocket. She hastily unlocks the phone, gets into her contacts, and taps the name that's the most recent and closest to her location.

**xXx. XxX. xXx**

"I'm telling you, Barton, you touch one more thing and I'm taking away your new arrows."

Clint freezes, fingers inches away from the newest addition to Stark's suits. "You wouldn't."

"I totally would," he huffs in response. "I'll give Widow all new updated toys and not make anything for you anymore."

"You're a horrible friend."

"I'm an excellent friend."

The banter between Stark and Barton is cut short, JARVIS suddenly interrupting them.

" _Sir, you have an incoming call from Miss Caroline."_

"Patch her through, J."

Tony had just come around the table, smacking Clint's hand as he tried to pick up one of the gloves for the newest Iron Man suit again when Caroline's frantic voice fills the lab.

" _Mom, wake up! You have to wake up."_

Both Tony and Clint freeze, gazes catching one another as they hear a tearful Caroline frantically trying to wake her mother. The emotion and cracking of her voice has both men tensing and preparing for the worst.

"Caroline?" Tony calls out rather loudly.

" _Please.. please,"_ she pleads and for a moment, they think that she hasn't realized her call has been connected.  _"Tony, please, help me. She's not waking up!"_

That has Tony jumping into action, he dropping whatever arrows he had been working on so they scatter across the table before him. "I'm on my way, Little Bit." Caroline's still sobbing over the line but Tony isn't paying her any mind and moving as fast as he can. "JARVIS, get me a suit. Any suit, just get me one now!" He's standing in the middle of a circular platform, the suit being manhandled by Stark's other creations as they suit him up. "Barton, contact everyone else. Tell them it's Liz."

Clint is quick to give Tony a grim nod in understanding, he watching as Iron Man zooms out from a hidden exit in Stark's lab and take off to help out the Forbes women.

**xXx. XxX. xXx**

When Tony gets to the Forbes' apartment building, he's quick to land at the front entrance and rush inside. He uses the thrusters in his boots to carry him up the stairs instead of having to take the elevator and finds the door to the Forbes' apartment left open.

People are standing in the hallway rather worriedly, muttering about Captain America having been spotted entering the apartment but no-one else dared to enter since Caroline's wails could be heard outside. And when gazes land on Tony, his Iron Man face plate slides up and the mutterings get even more frantic. But since it's Liz and Caroline he's worried about, he pushes past everyone and enters the apartment only to find Steve holding a sobbing Caroline in his lap at the kitchen table.

Tears and eyeliner streak down her face, her fingers gripping onto the forearm of Steve as he rubs her back in a soothing manner. "I- I was coming to visit Liz," Steve tells him when Tony doesn't say anything. "I found them- her- like this." He shakes his head clear since he's in obvious shock. "T-their neighbors called 911."

"That'll take too long," Stark gulps. "I'll take her to the hospital."

"You're not supposed to move the body."

Tony's lips thin at Steve's words, jaw clenching and eyes getting misty at Caroline's heart wrenching sobs. He hardly opened up to anyone, let alone let anyone get close to him, and this had just reminded him as to why. Keeping people at arm's length because he didn't know if he could trust them was a habit, but occasionally he met someone worth getting to know. And letting people in only to have them pass away from something he couldn't prevent was something new and a lot more gut wrenching to Tony that he didn't know how to proceed.

He'd never ever regret letting Caroline and Liz in, of course, but it still hurt.

Sirens can finally be heard and Tony makes a decision. "I'm taking her."

Seeing the determination on Stark's face, Steve doesn't argue and only tightens his hold on the sobbing girl in his arms. And making his way into the living room, Tony has bite the inside of his cheek to keep his emotions in check.

He's quick to use the blanket at Liz's side to drape over her, and hooks one arm under her shoulders and the other beneath her knees. He calls out to Steve that he's coming through and Steve immediately turns Caroline's face into his neck so she doesn't have to see Tony carrying her mother's lifeless body.

There are many gasps from neighbors out in the hall when Tony goes through, his face plate sliding down as he hurries back down the stairs. Just as he makes it outside, he can see the incoming help but he ignores them in favor of taking flight and taking his friend to the nearest hospital.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, uh, I might have watched a certain show as I wrote this and gave Steve her words to say. Kudos to those who guess that show :)
> 
> And I'm terribly sorry for this but it was expected, wasn't it?
> 
> P.S- Before you ask, I am not psychic, haha. I started writing this months before the mid-season finale of Vampire Diaries aired and I had no idea that was the road they were taking a certain character down. I was shocked!


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter set** : [polyvore](http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/set?id=143548801)

*

A whole day after Pepper had gotten a frantic phone call from agent Barton explaining that Liz's health had taken a nose dive, and everyone rushed to the hospital to be by Caroline's side as they told her what they already knew, Pepper is sitting on the closet floor as she stares up at her clothing.

She has yet to really stop crying, there only being a few moments when she'd gotten herself under control only to start sniffling all over again. Caroline had already left them along with her mother's body, Tony having put them on a private plane headed for Mystic Falls and called Stefan ahead of time to fill him in on what was going on, and where to pick them up from.

So here Pepper sits, heart heavy with grief as she tries to figure out what dress to wear for the funeral.

"Sweetheart, what are you doing on the floor?" Tony walks in, frowning down at the love of his life as she stares up at him with tears in her eyes.

"I- I don't know what to wear," her bottom lip trembles as she admits this out loud. Tony smiles sadly at her, resting his back against the wall and sliding down to sit next to his girlfriend. "Everything I own is party acceptable but this is a f-funeral. I don't have-"

"It's fine," Tony murmurs, effectively cutting her off. Slinging an arm around her shoulders, he brings her in so she ends up crying into his chest. "Liz wouldn't care what you wore as long as you were there."

"But-"

"No buts," he tells her. "Pick out the least flashy dress you own and a pair of heels. Bruce is waiting for us a couple floors below and we're just waiting on the others to get back from their meeting with Fury."

Pepper continues to sniffle, eyes rimmed red as she pouts at her boyfriend. "Did you at least get a nice suit picked out?"

"Barton, Rogers, and I all have acceptable blazers and jeans waiting on the jet for us," he assures her. "Bruce said he could pick out his own shirt and slacks so I left him to it, and Romanoff is picking up something she left on the Helicarrier. All we need is for you to make your final decision on an outfit."

"O-okay."

Tony then watches as his girlfriend shakily climbs to her bare feet, her hands sliding hanger after hanger across the clothing bar until she found the perfect dress.

**xXx. XxX. xXx**

"So you're telling me that all three of you are requesting the same two days off, including Stark and Banner, and leaving the fate of world in the hands of the non-super folk?"

"It's for a funeral," Steve replies, gaze hard as he speaks to the Director. "We're on call nearly twenty-four seven so two days off won't have the world spinning out of control."

"I'm well aware of what the request is for, Captain," Fury replies just as stonily. "After all, Iron Man was caught on camera flying the body to the hospital and you were photographed practically carrying a distraught blonde into the hospital minutes later." Steve's jaw clenches in his anger but he doesn't say anything even as Clint and Natasha remain quiet at his side. "You have any idea how big of a target you painted on Miss Forbes' back with that little stunt the two of you pulled?"

"It's the price one has to pay for befriending us," he immediately replies. "It's an unfortunate side-effect but Caroline knew-  _knows_ \- the consequence for calling us friends. And besides, she can take care of herself."

Fury huffs at that, his gaze finally sliding to that of his two agents. Shaking his head in disappointment, his lips twist in a scowl. "And you two? I gave you one job- the same job- and instead of doing your duty, the both of you get compromised by a monstrous bubbly blonde."

Clint's jaw ticks and Natasha's eye twitches just the slightest before she reaches down between her feet and grips the messenger bag that's there. Clenching her own jaw, she tosses the bag atop the Director's desk without so much as batting an eye. "We were told to assess whether or not she was a threat and we did just that." Fury eyes the bag laying before him, his gaze hardening on his once loyal agent. "I put two bullets in Miss Forbes and she never once attacked. Instead, she chose to have everything explained and even went out of her way to get you that."

After Natasha gestures to the bag, Fury takes a moment before opening it up. Inside are various bundles of vervain and glass bottles of it already liquefied. "That's it," he scoffs. "I thought there was to be a garden of this stuff growing for our side. This isn't nearly enough to pass out."

"Exactly," Steve pipes back up. "Caroline and Stefan are getting us the vervain behind Stefan's brother's back. They're not exactly on good terms and Damon is the type to kill first and find out the answers to his questions later. The garden can't be done yet and until then, you'll only be getting half of our shipment."

"I'm sorry," Fury glares. "But who died and put you in charge?"

"The people who founded S.H.I.E.L.D, actually, only they never expected me to survive the ice," he deadpans without missing a beat. "So from now on, all things vampire, witch, and werewolf will be handled by the Avengers. If you weaponize the vervain we're giving you right now and use it without knowing for a fact that the vampire is a hostile, it's pretty clear to us that you'll have a turf war with the supernatural beings and I, for one, won't be there to help you out."

"Neither will I," Clint mutters. Fury tenses and the vein in his forehead is throbbing but before he can explode at his agent and consultant, Barton continues. "Yes, there are dangerous vampires, but there are also good ones. We've met two already and the only blood they drink is that of an animal or already in a blood bag. They're good people, Sir, and I won't be put on assignment to take any of them out unless I know for a fact they're ruthlessly killing."

"I can have you fired and locked away somewhere," Fury finally speaks; low and dangerous.

"You can, but you won't." Natasha finally stands, thumbs loosely hooked in the pockets of her jeans. "You, Sir, need us and there's not doubt about that. We will fight against those causing harm but we will turn the other way if the Other is harmless."

Fury stands so he's at the same level of his agent, if not taller, but Barton and Rogers stand as well- joining their teammate. Gaze darting between all three, Fury sneers at them. "Request for leave granted and while you're away, we'll get the paperwork started saying that the Avengers are responsible for the monsters that go bump in the night as well." All three Avengers give terse nods, Natasha even going as far as flashing her boss a sardonic grin. "But make no mistake about it, the second the secret is out about these new Others, you'll be thrown under the bus with them since you know all about them now and are supposed to be keeping the public safe from them."

There's nods all around once more, the trio finally being able to take their leave. Though as they're walking through the halls, Natasha makes a quick detour to pick up a dress that she'd left on the Helicarrier because she didn't need it at Stark Tower until now.

* * *

Standing in the upstairs hallway just across from the shut bathroom door, Bonnie Bennett worries her bottom lip between her teeth as Stefan deals with a new problem downstairs. Hesitantly, she raises one fist and quietly raps on the door.

A few moments later, Caroline answers with red-rimmed eyes, a thin light pink robe tied loosely around her body, and damp hair clipped up at the back of her head. "I'm so sorry, Care, but Damon and Elena are downstairs. They heard about Liz this morning _._ "

Caroline doesn't need vampire hearing to know Bonnie's telling the truth, Damon's suddenly raised voice reaching both girls upstairs. "I'll be down in a bit."

"Are you sure? I haven't invited them in yet," Bonnie worries. "They're a bit peeved I used magic to rescind their invitation into my home but it needed to be done. You don't have to speak to them if you don't want to."

"I need to," Caroline meekly tells her. "They both knew my mom and we are still somewhat friends so it's only fair."

"Okay. Well, I'll go invite them in. You take your time."

Caroline smiles gratefully at her witchy friend, closing the door gently as Bonnie makes her retreat. She takes a few moments to gather her courage, keeping the tears at bay now that she's out of the shower and doesn't have the spray of water to wash them away.

Damon's voice raises even more after she hears Bonnie invite them in, and even hears a bit of a struggle between the Salvatore brothers as Damon starts demanding that Caroline hurry the hell up to explain what the fuck is going on. And feeling bad that she's pitted brother against brother- friend against friend- Caroline does just that and makes her exit. She doesn't use her vampire speed to get downstairs so, of course, Damon rolls his eyes while mumbling about it being  _about damn time._

Bonnie doesn't bother hiding her glare directed at Damon, and Stefan stands between Damon and Caroline herself. Elena, on the other hand, is clearly still dumbstruck with the news of Liz passing. Instead of being pissed off for whatever reason, Elena's quick to make a beeline for her friend with watery eyes.

"Care, I'm so sorry about your mom." Her voice cracks as she stands before the blonde vampire, Caroline's eyes filling with tears once more as she tries to smile at Elena. But with Elena's arms immediately wrapping Caroline in a hug, the blonde finally cracks and sobs in her friend's arms. "What happened?" Elena asks.

"Yeah, Barbie," Damon sneers. "Care to fill us in on what the hell happened? How the hell did your mother die on your watch?!"

"Damon." Stefan warns, gaze hardening on his own brother.

"She had cancer," Caroline answers even though Damon's tone was a bit harsh. She sniffles some more into Elena's shoulder, pulling back when the hug wore itself out. "Mom had cancer and she refused treatment. She was so sick in the end and with a tumor sitting on her brain- that she didn't even tell me about- she just passed. I left for a quick errand in the morning and she had an aneurysm while I was out."

Elena frowns in sympathy, moving back to be by her boyfriend's side though she pulls Caroline along with her to keep a hold of her hand.

"Newsflash," and there goes Damon again with the harshness of his tone. "You're a vampire. Why didn't you feed her your blood before the disease spread and killed her?!"

"Don't you think that if vampire blood cured cancer, we would have discovered it by now," Stefan answers just as Caroline responds with, "Because she didn't want it. She didn't want to turn in the end if worse came to worse."

Damon curses and starts pacing, ignoring his brother's words with glazed threatening eyes. "Goddammit, Barbie, then you should have force fed her!"

"Damon, enough," Stefan raises his own voice when he sees Caroline's bottom lip trembling. "It was Liz's call and Caroline abided by her mother's wishes. Let it go."

"Like hell I'll let it go."

Bonnie moves to Stefan's side, gaze locked on Damon's pacing form and ready to unleash her magic should he get out of control. "What's happened- happened," Bonnie says calmly. "We're all grieving here, Damon, so don't let your anger get out of control or-"

"Or what?" Damon flashes in front of her. "You'll use your mojo on me? It's Liz, Bonnie!"

"You don't think I know that," she boldly yells right back in his face. "Liz was like a mother to us all, Damon. We knew her longer than you and we knew her better. If Liz said she didn't want the supernatural lifestyle then she didn't want it. Caroline wasn't going to force it upon her and have her mother hate her like Stefan did to you."

"Bonnie.." Elena frowns and said witch backs down with an apologetic smile directed at Stefan.

"Sorry."

"It's fine," he waves her words off. "It's true, anyway. Liz would have held a grudge. Caroline made the right choice."

Damon scoffs but doesn't say anything else on the matter. While he chooses to keep pacing the small sitting area of Bonnie's home, Elena turns her attention to her once best friend.

"Is that why you moved away?" she asks. "Because Liz had cancer and you didn't want anyone to know?"

Gulping, Caroline refuses to meet the brunette's gaze. "Part of it." God, when did she become insecure Caroline again? Living in New York, it was easy to write off Elena and all her problems but being back in Mystic Falls with Elena consoling her, well, she felt like a giant ass now. "Mom and I.. well, mostly I, actually.. I wanted a clean break from Mystic Falls and all it's drama." Finally, she meets Elena's gaze. "I was tired of being manipulated and guilt-tripped into putting my life on the line or on hold to continuously get one person out of trouble."

Elena flinches and puts a few inches of space between herself and Caroline. "Oh."

Damon growls lowly from the back of his throat and Caroline squares her shoulders. She wasn't going to back down. "I'm sorry, I really am," she tells her friend. "But every supernatural threat that came here always seemed to have a fight to pick with the Petrova doppelganger. Even as a vampire they still came looking for you." Caroline frowns just as Elena forces herself to remain impassive. "People were dropping like flies and I got tired of it.

How long did I have to remain here just for someone or something to come after my Mom?" Caroline's voice cracks, eyes pleading for Elena to understand but the brunette doesn't show any signs of sympathy anymore. Instead, she looks rather hurt herself and Caroline gets that, but she's done apologizing for her actions. "When Mom found out she had cancer and didn't want anyone else to know in fear of what they'd might do," her gaze then travels to Damon for a split second just to see that he's glaring very heatedly at her. "-we figured getting out of Mystic Falls was out best bet. We could get away from all the drama and she could keep her secret."

The group remains silent, Caroline taking in a deep breath before letting it out in relief now that they know. Bonnie and Stefan are keeping their gazes locked on Damon, and Caroline is watching Elena closely even as her friend refuses to make eye contact now. And when the minutes seem to drag on, Elena stands without a word and beckons for Damon to follow.

"I really am sorry about Liz," Elena says sadly. "I'll see you at the services."

As Elena walks out of Bonnie's home, Damon scowls at Caroline before following the lead of his girlfriend.

**xXx. XxX. xXx**

With two hours before the services for her mother begins at the church, Caroline gives her wavy hair some last minute adjustments. The simple black v-neck dress with a pleated skirt hugs Caroline's form comfortably, and black flats adorn her feet. She'd kept her makeup fairly simple and let her hair hang in perfectly styled waves to frame her face. A single silver chain hung around her neck with a small pendant covered in vines, the charm bracelet that her mother had bought her and added charms over the years hung on her right wrist, and her lapis lazuli ring sat on her left hand.

Bonnie and Stefan had just stepped up behind her, she catching sight of their reflection in the hallway mirror. Bonnie was wearing a similar dress to her own, only the witch's was a hunter green with an added see-through shawl covering her shoulders; and Stefan- Stefan was in black slacks, a black blazer left hanging open atop a crisp white button down, and a black skinny tie hanging loosely from his neck.

"You about ready to leave?" he asks quietly.

"Matt's already there and rearranging the flower bouquets and wreaths," Bonnie then tells her.

Caroline sniffles some more, reaching for her a small black clutch with a silver clasp. Before they can make it to the front door, however, a knock sounds that has the three stopping in their tracks.

"Were you expecting anyone?" Caroline asks.

"No," Bonnie frowns. "You?"

"Nope. Stefan?"

"No." Nose flaring, Stefan shrugs. "Smells and sounds human."

That's enough to have Bonnie throwing caution to the wind and opening the door just as the second round of knocking started. With his hand frozen mid-knock, Bonnie and Stefan are left staring at nervously smiling heavy-set middle-aged man in a suit.

"Happy?"

Eyes darting to her, the man smiles kindly. "Miss Caroline," he nods his head in greeting.

"Happy," Caroline startles in shock. "What are you doing here?"

Smiling sadly now, Happy clasps his hands behind his back. "You didn't think we'd let you grieve alone, did you? Everyone's in town getting ready at a little bed-n-breakfast that Ms. Pott's found online." Caroline's eyes water at knowing they all showed up for her, and Happy's smile gets even more tender. "Miss Elizabeth was a wonderful woman, Caroline. I really am sorry for your loss."

Caroline loses the battle against keeping in her tears, her teeth digging into her bottom lip as she cries and nods her acknowledgement. "Thank you, Happy." A moment passes as Caroline gets herself under control, a hand rubbing soothing circles at her lower back and when she peers over her shoulder, she finds that it's Stefan who's doing it. "Oh, um, introductions," she murmurs as Bonnie hands her a tissue for her eyes. "Happy, this is Stefan Salvatore and Bonnie Bennett. Guys, this is Happy Hogan. He's Ms. Potts and Stark's personal driver, and bodyguard."

The three that have just been introduced all greet and shake hands, Happy then giving his attention back to Caroline. "I've been asked to drive you and your friends to the Church," he gestures back towards the sleek black limo waiting by the curb. "From there, I'm to pick up Mr. Stark and company for the services."

"Thank you, Happy. I really appreciate it."

"Don't mention it," he waves off her praise. "And just between me and you three," he mutters, leaning in a bit closer. "Upon finding out I was to head to Mystic Falls, Mr. Stark and Ms. Potts thought it best that they let me in on a specific  _secret_." Caroline, Bonnie, and Stefan all tense but Happy doesn't see it and leans back with a smile. "So when we get back to New York, you owe me a rematch in arm wrestling, you little cheater. No super strength."

Caroline barks out a watery laugh, surprising Happy as she lunged forward and wrapped him up in a hug. Smiling that he made Caroline happy, Happy peers up at Stefan and Bonnie only to find them grinning at him and chuckling as well.

**xXx. XxX. xXx**

On the way to the Church, Bonnie had kept Caroline distracted about how cool it was that Iron Man's personal driver was in town to drive them around, and that the Avengers were in town as well. And speaking of Avengers, Caroline didn't care if she got in trouble or not, she quietly told Bonnie just who was who so they knew not to piss off the wrong person. Especially since Bruce has an unsettling aura.

By the time they got to the church and Happy was opening the door for them, Caroline felt the sadness resettle over her and felt her chest constricting. There were a few vehicles here and there, and the sight of the hearse at the far end of the parking lot had tears immediately springing to her eyes.

"I know this is hard but you can get through this." Bonnie quickly grasps Caroline's hand in her own, making the blonde vampire look towards her. "You're Caroline Forbes; you can get through anything."

Giving a terse nod to her friend, Caroline's gaze then follows the arm of the hand that just squeezed her shoulder only to find Happy gently smiling at her. "I've got to go wait for the others. They'll be here soon, okay?"

"Okay."

Happy soon leaves and then Bonnie and Stefan are nudging Caroline into the church. But the moment they pass the double doors and find the funeral director opening the casket for the viewing, Stefan has to catch Caroline as her knees give out. Her chest is heaving with suppressed sobs as Stefan holds her to his side, and Bonnie is blinking rapidly to clear her own vision before she too has a break down.

As they walk towards the front of the church, Caroline realizes there are various arrangements of flowers placed on the floor by the casket while others sit on small pillars, and numerous wreaths that have all been arranged thanks to Matt. There are two pictures of Liz at either end of said casket, one in her Sheriff's uniform and the other being a candid that Caroline quickly recognized had somehow been taken on New Years atop Stark Tower.

Now standing only a few feet away from where her mother's body lies, the tears and sobs flow freely. Bonnie and Caroline manage to hold onto each other now, Stefan letting Caroline go as he stands back to make sure he keeps his own tears at bay. The two girls walk up to the casket, anyone and everyone who had been prepping for the funeral standing off to the sides as they give Caroline her space to say goodbye.

**xXx. XxX. xXx**

Even though the services hadn't officially started, guests had started to show up to pay their respects to Liz and then to Caroline who was seated with Bonnie and Stefan in the first pew.

Matt had been the first of their group to show up, he dressed similar as Stefan. He went up say his goodbye to Liz before moving towards Caroline and nearly hugging the life out of her. He gave his apologies to his friend for losing her mother and lets Caroline cry into his shoulder.

He then tells her that he'll be sitting right behind her and Caroline's quick to mumble to reserve the entire pew because there are other people coming and she rather have them up front than in the back where people might freak out over them. Matt seems wary of her request but when Caroline pulls him closer to tell him that the Avengers are showing up, he gulps and quickly agrees to save them their seat.

Jeremy, Elena, Damon, and Alaric are the next to show up from her so-called close-knit group of friends. Jeremy, Elena, and Alaric are the only three to walk up to pay their respects to Liz  _and_ Caroline; Damon choosing to say farewell to his friend before taking his seat on the other side of the church in one of the first few pews. Elena hugs Caroline briefly, giving her condolences once more before joining Damon on the other side, leaving a confused Jeremy and Alaric.

Caroline tries to shrug off their behavior, tears filling up her eyes way too quickly once more, and then Jeremy's taking his seat with Matt while Alaric mutters something about sitting with Damon even though he doesn't exactly know what's going on.

The entire Sheriff's department shows up, the ones who were on duty quickly saying their last goodbye and giving Caroline their condolences before taking their leave. Caroline gives her thanks through tight hugs and tearful words, Bonnie and Stefan staying at her side the entire time.

Caroline's staring blankly ahead, smiling when Stefan or Bonnie nudge her, and accepts condolences when the murmuring starts. She doesn't bother turning around because Bonnie does that for her and when Bonnie gasps a little, Caroline finally peers over her shoulder. Tony's leading the group with an already tearful Pepper on his arm, dark sunglasses hiding his eyes though Caroline can easily see the way his lips are thinned out and hear the too quick beating of his heart.

Pepper's the picture of elegance in a nearly skin tight long sleeve dress, Eiffel pumps on her feet, and her hair up in an elegant bun. A handkerchief is gripped tight in one hand that she's using to dab at her tear stained cheeks.

Steve and Bruce come along behind them, both men looking rather downtrodden and Steve's eyes are a bit glossier than normal. And behind the two men, Clint and Natasha round off the group. Natasha's stunning in her short yet elegant lace pencil dress and heeled sandals, she being the only one who seems to be holding herself together. And Clint- well he actually looks rather mournful.

Pepper's the first to hug Caroline after viewing Liz's body, both women breaking down for all to see. Tony's there to squeeze each of their shoulders before just pulling both sobbing women into his embrace and mumbling about how sorry he is that Elizabeth is no longer with them. And if Tony wipes at his eyes beneath his glasses, no-one says anything.

Pepper and Tony try to move on but Caroline holds onto their hands, gesturing to the pew that she, Stefan, and Bonnie are occupying. "Stay up front with me, please?"

"A-are you sure?" Pepper sniffles even as Tony's already taking a seat where Caroline said to.

"I'm sure."

Pepper nods and hugs Caroline one last time before taking her seat, Caroline hearing as she and Tony introduce themselves to Bonnie and then greet Stefan before Stefan introduces them to Matt and Jeremy behind them.

"Caroline." Before she can respond, she's in the strong hold of Steve's arms, crying and chuckling as he nearly breaks a few bones. "I'm so sorry."

"It's alright, Steve. There was nothing we could do."

He gives her a tearful nod before stepping aside after a few moments, Bruce clasping Caroline's hands in his own and offering his condolences since he's not one for hugs which Caroline understands. Before they can move on, though, she points Steve and Bruce to the second pew for their seats where Matt's already pushing Jeremy down the lengthy seat to make room. And just as she faces forward once more, she's got a face full of Clint's chest as he, too, wraps her up in a hug.

Caroline swallows around the lump in her throat, eyelids fluttering to keep tears from falling as Clint passes on his condolences as well. She gives him her thanks and as Clint steps aside, she's come face to face with Natasha.

The two women just stand there staring at one another, Natasha's gaze darting over every inch of Caroline's face, and then she's moving. She stops just inches before the blonde, one dainty hand hesitantly coming up to smooth Caroline's hair behind her left ear.

"We got off on the wrong foot," Natasha weakly smiles. Caroline returns the smile and then Natasha's bringing Caroline into a gentle embrace. "I'm sorry about Elizabeth," she murmurs next to her ear and Caroline immediately starts sniffling all over again. "The last few weeks that I spent with her, she had nothing but praise for you. You were the apple of her eye; the light of her life and all those cheesy sayings that I'm sure she's laughing at me for saying."

Caroline gives Natasha a watery chuckle, Natasha grinning but continues to hold on. "You are one of the strongest and purest Other that I've come across, Caroline Forbes, and when you're at your weakest and falling to pieces.. just remember that we'll be here to put you back together."

The sob that escapes from Caroline has Natasha tightening her hold on her until Caroline gets herself back under control. Then, the two women are separating and Caroline gives Natasha a brilliant smile though her tears still fall.

"Thank you, Natasha."

The redhead returns her smile though it's brief, and then Caroline's directing her and Clint to the pew where Steve and Bruce are sitting and chatting to Jeremy and Matt.

When Caroline retakes her seat right before the services officially start, she has Bonnie and Stefan to her left with Bonnie holding tight to her hand; and Pepper and Tony to her right with Pepper holding her other hand.

They sit through the eulogy that had been presented to the Head of the Church to read aloud, he then going over every accomplishment Elizabeth Forbes ever had. Since he had lived in Mystic Falls like a majority of the people present to say goodbye to Liz, he started talking about all the good and bad memories that made the gathered people laugh through their tears. He even went as far as giving the floor to anyone who wanted to share memories of Liz, some of the off duty officers taking that moment to share a few stories of her when she was their boss.

After the memories had been shared and music had been played, it was time to say goodbye before they headed for the cemetery for Liz's final resting place. The Head of the Church gave the people half an hour to give their condolences to Caroline once more, and it wasn't until the end of the line of gatherers did Tony take Pepper's place at Caroline's side with a frown.

"Hey. Isn't that that guy- the hybrid one?"

Caroline tenses at Tony's words, following his gaze to the end of the line where none other than Klaus Mikaelson was staring right back. Caroline gulps and slowly nods, pasting on a sad smile as she continues to accept people's apologies and kind words before Klaus finally gets to her. But before Klaus could even mutter a word, Elijah is standing before her.

"Caroline," he greets kindly. "On behalf of my family, please accept our deepest regrets for the passing of your mother."

He looks so kind and sincere that Caroline can't help but give him a meek smile. "Thank you, Elijah."

His lips twitch into a smile of his own, he briefly clasping Caroline's hands in his own before picking up one of her hands to place a kiss on the back of her hand.

As Elijah steps aside, Caroline can hear as he calmly greets Stefan and Bonnie, and then Klaus is taking up her vision. "Caroline."

"Klaus."

A moment passes where neither of them move and then slowly but surely, Klaus steps forward with his arms slightly spread and Caroline steps into his embrace. She doesn't cling to him as she did her other friends but having him and Elijah here, it settles something deep within her that has her sighing out in relief.

"I'm so sorry, Sweetheart. I know how much you loved her."

"Yeah, well, mom was human. Wasn't anything we could do."

He doesn't argue as Damon had, and instead steps back to nod in acknowledgment.

"So this is awkward. Isn't this awkward? Pep, I'm starting to feel awkward."

Klaus' gaze darts to Tony and Caroline rolls her eyes but chuckles nonetheless. Her chuckles suddenly blossom into full blown laughter and then she's clapping a hand over her mouth to hide it because people are starting to stare. Tears are streaming down her face but they're tears of laughter and not sadness, and then she's punching Tony in the shoulder who gasps in offense.

"Super strength," he hisses in pain. "Pull your punches, Buffy!"

"She was the slayer of my kind, you idiot."

"We're in a church; you can't name call in a church."

"Yeah, well, watch me."

Caroline's gathered group of friends all fall into a silence, one-by-one all of them having to fight off a smile at Tony and Caroline's bantering. Even Elijah and Klaus are having trouble not being amused.

"I'm glad you're all finding amusement on a day like this," Damon's snide voice sobers them up. "But we have your mother to bury." He directs the last part of his sentence at Caroline and just like that, the mood has turned somber once more.

Klaus growls at Damon but Caroline's hand on his forearm has him stopping in his movement.

"He's right. Let's go say goodbye to my mom."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Growing up as a Catholic- when we have funerals- we have a Rosary the night before to view the body and give condolences to the family and then the actual burial the following morning. But for this, I put the Rosary right before the funeral all in one day instead of two.
> 
> In the next chapter, it'll pick up later in the night with this group all gathered in one specific place to relax some. Can you guess where?
> 
> And just so you know, *SPOILER ALERT FOR THE SHOW* I wrote this story out months before the mid-season finale of VD came out. Imagine my surprise when they say Liz has a tumor. I had a moment of awe and then I was bawling because I absolutely adore the 'Steroline' friendship on there and it was just perfect that it was Stefan who told Caroline.


	14. Chapter 14

As the group regathered outside the Church and watched as Liz's casket was loaded into the hearse, introductions were done all over again- this time for Damon, Elena, Klaus, and Elijah (all four being wary of one another but putting aside their differences for the day and for the sake of looking like good friends to Caroline in front of Iron Man and Captain America, Caroline smartly leaving out the other's identities).

The New York gang could easily see that not everyone was as comfortable around the so-called Originals as Caroline and Stefan were. And it also didn't help that Damon was being a snide prick every moment he got when he didn't think anyone else was paying attention.

The minute the hearse was loaded up and several police cruisers lined up in front of it to escort the procession to the cemetery, Happy pulled up in an even bigger limo than what he had dropped off Caroline, Bonnie, and Stefan in. Natasha, Bruce, Clint, and Steve all climbed in leaving Tony and Pepper to urge Caroline and whoever of her friends to join them since they were following right behind the hearse anyway.

Caroline had obliged after giving her thanks, as had Bonnie and Stefan who didn't really want to leave Caroline's side. Klaus, Elijah, Alaric, Damon, and Elena had all passed- the first three giving their thanks but that theyhad their own vehicle while Damon and Elena just walked away to settle in Damon's car. Matt and Jeremy were undecided but after insistent honking from Damon, Jeremy went with his sister and Matt threw caution to the wind and took Stark up on his offer.

By the time everyone gathered at the cemetery, they gave the funeral home some time to get the casket in the ground and ready to be lowered before everyone gathered around. More words were spoken over Liz's casket, Pepper had managed to produce long stem white roses that everyone who was close to Caroline got to lay atop the casket, and then the casket was being lowered in the ground and covered.

Tears were shed, sobs pierced the air, and then a few more flowers were laid atop the fresh mound of dirt.

When enough time had passed and the sun was setting, the group called it day and started to head back to their respective vehicles. But before anyone could depart, Matt declared that the Grill had been shut down for the funeral but he'd open it up just for the group if anyone wanted a drink. And sure enough, a majority of the group- which was lead by Tony's shout of  _Yes!-_ agreed to drinks.

Even Klaus and Elijah were invited- by Caroline, of course- and agreed to have a few drinks before leaving back for New Orleans.

**xXx. XxX. xXx**

Upon entering the Grill, Matt quickly ushers everyone inside and then flips on the lights. The dimly lit spick and span establishment immediately soothes Tony's mind about it possibly not being up to par with what he was used to, and brought out a sigh of relief from Steve. Even though he's rather used to everything modern now-a-days, sometimes modern doesn't soothe the soul. And the Grill.. it's definitely soothing with all it's wooden tables, booths, and beams, and the karaoke machine that he spots almost right away.

Pepper coos right away at the place as Caroline and Bonnie lead her towards the tables that Stefan and Jeremy are pushing together so they can sit as one big group. Tony and Natasha follow Matt to the bar, and Tony immediately drops a wad of cash next to the till.

Eyes widening in shock, Matt splutters before gesturing to the mirrored wall behind him. "Pick your poison, Mr. Stark."

"My pleasure." Tony walks around the bar since they are the only patrons in there, he then gesturing Natasha over. "Choose what you want, Red. I dropped enough cash for a few bottles."

Natasha smirks as Matt suddenly chokes on nothing but air, he slipping the cash into the till as Tony reaches for two bottles of Bourbon and she reaching for a bottle of Vodka. Matt immediately reaches for a plastic platter from underneath the bar, he then placing glass tumbler after tumbler for whoever is going to want a drink.

He then does the same for Natasha, producing yet another black plastic platter and placing shot glass after shot glass there until Natasha thinks that there's plenty. And when Natasha and Tony head back for the tables, he picks up a bottle of Damon and Alaric's favorite as well as some tumblers, and makes his way towards them.

Elijah and Klaus sit at one end of the tables while Damon and Elena sit at the other- the two groups being as far away from each other as possible.

Alaric, Jeremy, and Matt sit as close to Elena and Damon while Tony doesn't give a flying fuck that Elijah and Klaus are Originals- he plopping down next to them with Pepper at his side. Steve and Clint nod in acknowledgment to Klaus and Elijah, and when the two brothers return the greeting, the two Avengers sit next to them as well.

Caroline, Bonnie, Stefan, Bruce, and Natasha choose to sit in the middle of everyone, and Caroline's immediately gesturing for a shot. Natasha snorts as she quickly pours them out, sliding two towards Stefan and Bonnie after Bruce declines his.

"To Liz," Natasha says, raising her shot glass. Stefan, Caroline, and Bonnie raise theirs just as Natasha looks upward. " _Вы будет не хватать , мой друr._ "

The four shots are taken down with only Bonnie grimacing at the taste and already, Natasha' refilling them.

"Pass a couple this way, will you?" Jeremy asks and Natasha doesn't bat an eye as she fills up a few more shot glasses to be slid down his way.

"Okay, so I got to ask," Tony breaks the silence that falls over the group as he pours several tumblers of Bourbon, passing two of them to Elijah and Klaus. "Did you lot really meet all because you were trying to sacrifice her?" He asks, pointing between Klaus and Elena.

"Tony!" Pepper gasps, elbowing him hard but his smirk only widens when Klaus' does.

"Indeed," the hybrid drawls and takes a sip of his alcohol.

"No one's ' _how did you meet_ ' story will ever top that," the billionaire grins. "It amazes me that you all can now sit here with each other instead of trying to stake one another."

"Yeah, well, speak for yourself," Damon mutters.

Caroline, Bonnie, Steve, Clint, and Pepper suddenly find their drinks very interesting while the others all tense at Damon's words and their gazes ping pong between vampire and hybrid.

"Now, now, mate," Klaus smirks. "Don't turn our little reunion into a blood bath. We're all here for Caroline in her time of need; not to re-open old wounds."

Damon, Elena, and Jeremy don't bother hiding their glares at the two Originals, and the others are smart to continue drinking on without interfering.

"So," Bonnie gulps, quickly downing the shot Natasha passes to her. "What are you going to do now, Care? Are you going back home or coming back to Mystic Falls?"

Scoffing, Elena shakes her head. "Mystic Falls is her home, Bon. Besides, it's not like there's anything keeping her back in New York now." And quickly realizing the words that just came out of her mouth, there's a split second where Elena looks apologetic. "Care, I didn't-"

"No, do go on." Caroline frowns, a dangerous glint in her eyes. "I mean, we wouldn't want you to bottle it all up and turn off your humanity again."

"Oh, shit." Clint mutters when he picks up on Caroline's anger and downs his bourbon. Klaus smirks at the archer's antics, and then between Elena and Caroline who are having an intense stare down.

"That's not fair and you know it." Elena loses some of her steam, she slumping in her seat. "Jeremy died."

"Because of a cure that they were looking for  _you._ "

"That's enough, Barbie. Back off," Damon growls.

Caroline glares at Damon but wisely keeps her mouth shut and takes the Bourbon that Tony suddenly slid down to her. The group lapses once again into a tense silence and then Clint's suddenly chuckling.

"You vampires are crazy. No offense to you, Caroline and Stefan and the new guys I've yet to profile. But that was ridiculous the way the conversation jumped from something so innocent to old wounds."

"Welcome to the life of a vampire," Stefan toasts him, downing his shot. "Just be glad you aren't one."

"I'm sorry but who even are they?" Damon finally snaps. "From what I understood, our secret was told to the  _Avengers,_ not a misfit group of men and women. All I see are Iron Man and Captain America so unless these other people are the rest of the Avengers, why the hell aren't we compelling them?!"

Tony laughs jovially, clapping a slow applause before standing up and facing Damon. Pulling a nervous Pepper to stand up at his side, Tony smirks at the blue-eyed, dark-haired vampire. "This is the future Mrs. Stark and CEO of Stark Industries," and with his smirk slowly falling and gaze hardening, Damon tenses up at the sudden change in the man. "Threaten to mess with her mind again and I'll politely ask my new friend here," he gestures to Klaus. "-to rip our your spine since he seems to not like you at all."

Damon sneers at him and Klaus lowly chuckles as he toasts to Tony.

Gulping down the rest of his drink, Clint slams his empty tumbler atop the table. "Agents Barton and Romanoff," he gestures between himself and Nat. "And we're classified information, but threaten my friends again and I'll show you exactly what I'm capable of."

Natasha doesn't bother giving Damon a response but the feral smile she flashes his way has Jeremy and Matt nervously avoiding any and all eye contact.

"And what about you?" Damon huffs, staring at Bruce.

"J-just a Scientist," Bruce stammers, gaze catching Caroline's sympathetic one. "I work at Stark Industries."

"A scientist." Damon huffs in return. "Let me guess, you're here to study us? To see if you can experiment on more than just Caroline?"

"He doesn't experiment on me," Caroline lowly growls, her temper finally reaching it's boiling point. "He's just here for support and to say goodbye to a friend."

"Oh, can it, Barbie. If you'd given a damn about Liz, we wouldn't be here in the first place."

Temper finally snapping, Caroline lets the inner monster loose and hisses in anger at Damon. With Caroline's fangs bared at a now smug Damon, Elena's protective side comes into play and she bares her own fangs right back at Caroline.

Unbeknownst to everyone else, when Damon started to get snappy with her team, Natasha's hand had slowly reached under the table where her hands slowly wrapped around a weapon that she had holstered to her thigh. And the second Elena's monster snapped at Caroline, Natasha's arms snapped up from her persons with her gun aimed at Elena.

"Like that'll do any damage," Damon rolls his eyes at the redhead when everyone else froze at Natasha's display.

"Might not cause much but I was told wooden bullets hurt like a bitch and are harder to dig out."

Damon's eyes color red at Natasha's words, the veins beneath his eyes threatening to pulse to the surface. The second there's a peek of fang from Damon's parted lips, a fist slams down on the table between the feuding foursome.

"Enough!" Bruce barks out, eyes glinting green in Damon and Elena's direction. "Put the fangs away or we'll really have a problem here."

The small slip of the Other Guy is enough to send a shiver of fear up and down Elena, Damon, and Alaric's spine; their vampire visages pulsing angrily before slowly fading away.

"Scientist my ass," Damon snarks before pouring him and Alaric another drink.

Once everyone's calmed down, Bruce retakes his seat and starts on his breathing exercises. Seeing that Bruce is still struggling a bit, Stefan offers to go get him some water from behind the bar and Bonnie hesitantly reaches forward to grab onto Bruce's hand and shows him that everything is all right.

"Am I- am I the only one wondering where the gun suddenly came from," Jeremy then speaks up, gaze darting to Natasha's form before nervously glancing away.

Sensing the younger adult's fear, Klaus salutes him with a drink. "You and me both, mate. You and me both."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got the translation from google so if it's wrong, let me know and we'll fix it. "Вы будет не хватать , мой друr." - "You will be missed, my friend."
> 
> P.S- In case you don't have tumblr and didn't see my note, here's something you should know. I usually update my stories every 4-5 days but due to certain circumstances, I might not be able to update so soon again. I'll try my best but if I suddenly go missing, it's because of my family that I should be there for. But fear not, it won't too long. No more than a week. I'll keep you updated.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter set** : [polyvore](http://www.polyvore.com/friends_in_high_places/set?id=144405628)

*

The night of drinking with many different clashing personalities started off rough but eventually ended on a good high.

There was an invisible line drawn that was easily recognizable between Caroline and Elena, the group making sure that the two ladies didn't trade words anymore. They were there to drink in Liz's memory and any fights wouldn't be tolerated.

Tony surprisingly hit it off with Klaus while Pepper, Clint, and Steve chatted up Elijah. Caroline, Stefan, Bonnie, Natasha, and Bruce did their best to pull in the others into their conversation but Damon kept being a snarky ass and Elena kept defending him so they only focused on Jeremy, Matt, and Alaric.

As the night had wound down, Klaus helped a staggering Tony back to his limo to be driven back to the airport since the New York gang had to be back the following afternoon, and Steve helped a sleepy and drunk Clint. Caroline had bid all her New York friends goodbye for the night, she telling them she had some last minute paperwork to deal with the following morning, and Stefan promised to drive her to New York after she was done.

Said paperwork ended up being the deed of her childhood home, Caroline having blank documents drawn up so she could have it under someone's name that wasn't technically dead. But since Bonnie and Matt had trouble keeping up with their own bills and taxes, adding another home under one of their names was a no go. Even Jeremy had crossed her mind but then Jeremy would just invite Damon and Elena in, and well, she didn't want anyone having access to her childhood home while she was away.

So the papers got packed and before she could meet up with Stefan, Elena had found her sitting on the back porch of her childhood home. The brunette was there under the pretense of trying to salvage their friendship because they'd been through too much to just toss it away, but the second Elena huffed or made a comment about Caroline going back to New York, Caroline had had enough.

" _You know what, I'm done,"_ Caroline had stood up, shaking her head in disappointment as Elena gaped at her.  _"Me leaving without telling you before had been childish and I could have gone about it a different way but what's done is done. I never intended to stay in Mystic Falls when I was a human so what makes you think that I'd stay now?"_

" _Because we're your friends. Your family!"_

" _They're my family, too,"_ Caroline replied wholeheartedly.  _"Sure we haven't known each other for years like what we have here in Virginia but they wormed their way in. My life is in New York now so if you can't accept that, then don't. Go home, Elena. I'm not going to change my mind."_

Elena could only scoff and climb to her feet, wiping her hands on the back of her shorts and taking her leave just as Caroline had told her. And when the time came to see Caroline off, only Matt and Bonnie were there when Stefan picked her up although Matt came with goodbyes from Alaric and Jeremy.

**xXx. XxX. xXx**

With her bag carelessly thrown to her feet, Caroline settles in the passenger seat of Stefan's red 1963 Porsche with a sigh and a strained smile. She hadn't packed any clothing when she came back down to Mystic Falls other than the dress she wore to her mother's funeral and she hadn't washed the original clothing she had come down in so Bonnie had to lend her something.

Even though the red flannel over a black belly tank with a cheetah print lightning bolt really wasn't her style, Caroline felt comfortable in the double tops and black jeans that hugged her legs.

"You about ready to get back home?" Stefan asks, putting on some tunes and pulling away from the curb.

"I'm ready for New York; I'm not ready to get back to the apartment," she admits.

Stefan glaces at her once- quickly- only to find her staring out the window. "Oh. So are you going back to the apartment or am I dropping you off somewhere else?"

"The Tower, I think. I'm gonna ask Tony and Pepper for a favor; see if I can crash in a guest room until I'm ready to pack up mom's things."

"What about your home in Mystic Falls; what are you going to do with that?"

"It'll remain empty for the time being. I have plans for that house."

Stefan can only nod in acknowledgment, Caroline then turning to face him, eyes filled with sparkling tears as she flashes him a smile. He returns said smile, reaching between them and grabbing her hand to give it a comforting squeeze for a few moments.

The drive is mostly silent, Stefan stopping by a few convenient stores to pick up a few snacks to keep them sated until hitting the Tower where Caroline had a stash of blood bags.

**xXx. XxX. xXx**

Before arriving at the Tower, Caroline had texted Pepper and Tony if she could meet them either on the Communal floor or their loft floor to ask for a favor. She had been hesitant when writing the message because she didn't want them to think she was taking advantage of them in her time of need, but Pepper was the first to reply, she telling Caroline that JARVIS would take her up to the loft when she got there.

She had then told them that Stefan was coming up with her but stopping off at the communal floor to raid her personal drinking cubby in the fridge (her cubby being nothing but blood bags that Bruce got ahold of for her), and Tony replied that the Cap and Banner were on that floor and they'd be waiting for the company.

So when the duo parked in the underground garage that Tony told Caroline to direct Stefan to, the two vampires easily stepped inside the elevator after parking and leaned against the back wall.

" _Welcome back, Miss Caroline and Mister Salvatore."_

"Hello, JARVIS," Caroline greets as she nudges Stefan to do the same. He does, but with a stammer that makes Caroline's lips twitch in amusement. "Stefan's being dropped off on the communal floor and I'm heading up to Stark's loft."

" _Of course,"_ JARVIS chimes just as the elevator starts up.

Since it was a bit chilly outside, the Tower is running a bit warm so Caroline immediately sets to stripping off the flannel and tying it around her waist. She makes quick work of tying her hair up in a ponytail and by the time the elevator dings open on the Communal floor, she's done.

"Blood's in the fridge," she tells Stefan before he can step out. "Steve will point it out for you. I shouldn't be more than ten minutes."

"Take your time," Stefan assures her, moving towards her to give her a brief hug when he sees her fidget. "From what I've seen and heard, Stark and Ms. Potts adore you. You have no reason to be fidgety."

"Easy for you to say. You're not the one asking for a favor."

Stefan huffs a quick laugh, pressing a kiss to her temple. "You'll be fine."

Caroline groans, not at his words but at the sweet gesture of a kiss. "I really wished you hadn't done that. Tony views the security footage all the time and he isn't going to let me live that peck down."

"He still going on about us dating?" Stefan laughs and steps away, Caroline scowling at him.

"Yes and you know damn well he was. You did that on purpose."

His answering smirk is enough of an answer for Caroline, but the elevator doors close before she can retort.

Tony and Pepper's loft is only one floor above so the trip is quick and all too soon, Caroline finds herself stepping out into said loft where Tony and Pepper are waiting by the bar. They don't make a beeline for her- which Caroline is grateful for- and instead, Pepper waits patiently while Tony smugly smirks as he fixes them up some drinks.

"You were watching the footage, weren't you?"

"I had to see what type of mood you were in," Tony shrugs, passing a drink to Pepper. "And I have to say.. called it!"

"You didn't call anything; he did that on purpose to make you tease me," she grumbles. "Stefan and I are friends. We'll always be friends."

"Sure you are."

Tony slides a drink towards Caroline as she takes a seat on one of the stools, she snatching it up and downing it one go. The taste barely affects her and then she's signaling for another.

"Rough day?" Pepper frowns and sips her own drink slowly.

"You can say that," Caroline nods. And when Pepper and Tony remain quiet, she explains. "Elena caught up with me this morning to apologize for last night. Only after the apologies, she was back to being condescending about my choice to come back to New York."

"Screw that," Tony grumbles. "You don't need friends like that especially after the past couple of days you've been having."

Pepper nods in agreement and Caroline can't help but smile at the encouraging couple. So after Tony slides her yet another drink, she sighs out rather loudly and readies herself to ask them for a favor.

One moment passes, then another, and Tony finally loses his patience. "Spit it out, Little Bit. What's going on?"

"Well," Caroline begins, her bottom lip being worried between her teeth as she averts any and all eye contact. "I hate to ask this of you but, uh, do you think I can stay in a guest room here at the Tower for a couple of days?" Tony and Pepper remain quiet, and Caroline takes a deep breath. "It's just- it's just I'm not ready. I'm not ready to go back to the apartment yet and I don't know where else to go."

Her voice cracks just the slightest and Pepper's immediately in her personal space and hugging her. "Of course, sweetie. There's plenty of rooms here. Just pick anyone you want."

"I d-don't want to impose, though."

"Don't worry about it," Tony waves her words off causing Caroline to finally meet his gaze. "You're practically like family. Stay as long as you need."

Caroline still can't believe that this is the Tony Stark that was constantly looked down upon in numerous of tabloids. While many called him many names, Caroline could see why they would call him such names but she also saw a side that no one outside of the Tower ever saw. So with a fond and trembling smile, Caroline mouths  _thank you_  at him while he just winks in return and continues to tease her about the peck from the elevator.

* * *

The morning after the first night Caroline stayed at Stark Tower, everyone was pretty shocked at how well put together she seemed.

She had immediately got into the swing of things, calling up restaurants that would cater to the quickly upcoming Stark Event at the Children's Hospital- the same event that she had been planning since before Liz had fallen greatly ill- and trying to find a color scheme that would be perfect. Pepper had tried to get Caroline to take it easy- trying to take over the event planning so Caroline could mourn- but the blonde vampire was having none of that and promised that she could do it.

The second day had been pretty much the same, everyone trying not to make it seem like they were walking on eggshells around her. But on the third day after Caroline finished her day's work, she asked whoever wasn't busy- which ended up being Steve- if he'd go to the apartment back with her so she could start packing up some things.

So Steve and Caroline made it back to her apartment, and all it took was the silence of the apartment as well as spoiled groceries on the ground from where Caroline had last dropped them to break the vampire down. As she nearly crumpled to the floor, Steve had caught her and walked her back outside to the hallway.

He let her cry, holding her against his chest and counted his lucky stars that not one of her neighbors went to investigate the noise. And when he got her to finally calm down some just until she was sniffling, he made her promise to stay out in the hall while he went inside to bag all the spoiled groceries so he can dump them outside in the alley's dumpster, and that they'd try this again when she was more prepared.

The fourth day has Caroline avoiding Steve, she feeling a bit foolish for the previous day. He ended up cornering her- telling her she had nothing to feel bad about- and made plans to be there whenever she was ready to pack up some of the stuff from her apartment. She gave him her thanks, apologized for crying, but he merely shrugged it off with a smile.

Somehow, everyone else found out about Caroline's breakdown and on the fifth day, Pepper had summoned her back up to the loft to ask her a quick question.

Nervously tangling her fingers together, Caroline takes a deep breath just as the elevator doors open up on the floor she'd been directed to and steps out. Music softly fills the dimly lit space and Caroline follows the almost indistinguishable sounds of Pepper moving about in the kitchen area.

Wine bottle in hand and struggling to pull the cork out, Pepper smiles sheepishly and holds the bottle out for Caroline to try her hand at it. Weakly chuckling, Caroline takes it and pops the cork out without even batting an eye.

"You wanted to speak with me?" Caroline asks as she passes the bottle back to it's owner.

"Yes. Right. Straight to the point," Pepper nervously grins as she pours herself a glass of white wine. "Do you want some?"

"Sure." Caroline takes a seat atop one of the bar stools, accepting the wine glass that Pepper offers her and takes a tentative sip. "So.. what's going on?"

Again, the nervous smile is back and Caroline can hear the other woman's heart beat pick up in speed. "Well, Tony and I got to talking this morning, and we want to know- now you don't have to if you don't want to- but we'd really like it if you were to officially move in to the Tower with us." Caroline visibly startles at her words, eyes widening and Pepper's quick to intervene, and explain further. "It's just, well, we heard about what happened the other day! We know you loved your mother very much but that apartment," she trails off, shaking her head sadly while sipping her own wine and avoiding eye contact. "We don't think you should stay there after what's happened in there."

Caroline's still struck speechless and after a moment passes, she downs her wine in a single gulp and reaches across the bar to retrieve the bottle, and pour herself another. While she's gulping down her second glass, tears gather in the corners of her eyes and Pepper looks seconds away from apologizing for being so straight forward.

"Caroline, I'm so sorry. You don't-"

"Don't be sorry," Caroline cuts her off and then offers her a watery chuckle. "It's just- I don't- I'm not sure," she settles on after struggling with her words. "I know- I know I can't stay there; I figured that out the hard way by breaking down on Captain America himself but I don't know if I can move into the Tower." She frowns sadly. "You and Tony and the rest of the team have done so much already and I couldn't ask you of that."

"You're not asking," Pepper tries to smile encouragingly. "We're asking you!"

Caroline worries her bottom lip in thought, eyes searching Pepper's facial features for any sign of a tick that she's being untruthful. But instead of finding anything to make her believe otherwise, Caroline finds herself breathing a sigh of relief at Pepper's honesty.

"Can I- can I think it over?"

"Of course," Pepper immediately agrees with a radiant smile. "Take all the time you need to think. And if you suddenly find yourself doubtful, just remember that Tony already has a fully furnished floor waiting for you to move into."

Choking on her third glass of wine, Pepper laughs as the vampire splutters. "A f-fully f-furnished floor?!"

"It's Tony," Pepper answers as if that's enough reason. "Just let us know when you're ready."

* * *

It takes only two days for Caroline to come to a final decision, she taking up Tony and Pepper on their offer.

Pepper was ecstatic and Tony was ready to hire people to pack up Caroline's old apartment but she wanted to personally do that. So after seeing who had a day off, Caroline rounded up Steve, Clint, and Natasha to help pack up her belongings that she was bringing to the Tower, and packing up everything that would be going into storage.

Clint and Steve packed up all of Caroline's shoes, books, pictures, and knick-knacks; Caroline boxed up her clothing; and Natasha helped Caroline pack away all of Liz's things. There had been a couple of times that Caroline had to stop and step out into the hallway, but other than that, most of the tears shed were when Caroline found something of her mom's that made her laugh along with the memory attached to said object.

All of the furniture and appliances that didn't come along with the apartment got sent to storage as well as all the very personal objects that belonged to Liz. Liz's clothing, shoes, and bedding got sent to storage as well, but only until Caroline felt like she could part with them before sending them to a Church or something for the less fortunate.

The floor that Tony had assigned her reminded her of the Communal floor, only a bit smaller with two hallways and doors off to one side of the floor where her bedroom and personal bathroom resided. Down the second hall, there was a study as well as a guest bedroom with it's own private bathroom as well. The walls on her floor were mostly pastel themed- her bedroom being her favorite with the shade of a soft lavender.

She had every appliance necessary in her kitchen, a couch and a love seat in the sitting area with a glass coffee table, as well as a flat screen plasma mounted on the wall. There were shelves on either side of the TV and as Steve, Clint, and Natasha rearranged boxes in her sitting area, she placed pictures of herself, her mother, and her friends along the shelves.

Natasha had taken her clothing into her bedroom as well as the toiletries to the bathroom, and Caroline had immediately fallen in love with her brand new bed that was as soft as what she expected a cloud to feel like.

Since she didn't have much to put away in her new space, Caroline told everyone to just leave the boxes where they were and she'd make sure everything was put away in her own time. She thanked Steve, Clint, and Natasha for their help- all of them smiling and telling her it was no big deal- and then she asked if they were busy for dinner. When no one was busy, she claimed that the pizza, wings, and beer were on her so they had better be up at her place at eight that night.

With a nod from Natasha, a wink from Clint, and a mock salute from Steve; all three Avengers left to go get cleaned up and left Caroline to finish settling in.

**xXx. XxX. xXx**

A little before seven that night, Caroline uses vampire speed and strength to collapse the empty boxes, and stow them away in one of the many closets before jumping into her new shower. She doesn't have time to teach herself what the various controls do and to her surprise, JARVIS starts the warm water for her for when she starts grumbling about crazy geniuses and their too complicated bathrooms.

She makes a mental note to ask the others if cameras are installed on their floors or in the bedrooms and if there's any way to cut them off because footage of her sleeping? That's just weird.

She gives herself a quick scrub down and it's only when she's searching for a comfortable outfit does she have JARVIS ask her three guests what type of pizza they were going to want. And after a few moments, JARVIS relays that Steve requested a supreme, Natasha requested all cheese, and Clint requested a Hawaiian. So a little after seven, Caroline orders Steve and Natasha their very own pizza and gets two Hawaiian for herself and Clint as well as four types of wings- two with bone and two boneless. She asks JARVIS for help in locating beer that would go great with pizza and after finding it, Caroline has a few cases ordered on her card and personally delivered to the Tower.

Since it is New York, take out takes a little longer than usual to get to it's buyer, and Natasha shows up before eight and before the food is even there. Both women greet each other civilly and Natasha huffs in amusement at Caroline's black tank top, the words  _This is my Netflix, Oreos, and Pizza shirt_ just asking to be read. And while Caroline opted for cutoff jean shorts, Natasha's in jeans and a loosely fitted gray tank of her own with a sports bra beneath it. Caroline's bare feet prompt Natasha to kick off her own shoes, she choosing to walk around in socks and Caroline can't help but grin.

Steve shows up just as Caroline's heading for the elevator to go retrieve their food and beer, he deciding to help her along the way. They make idle chit chat as they pick up their food and when they get back to Caroline's floor, they find Clint walking around her place in socks of his own and then Natasha's demanding Steve kick off his own shoes because this was a comfortable environment and he would not be ruining it.

Caroline laughs at Natasha's need to keep the mood easy going and Steve does as he's told. The pizza and wings get placed on the kitchen counters, and the numerous cases of beer that Steve carried are placed by the fridge. Since they were already cold, Steve is not quick to put the beer away.

"Alright, so," Caroline grins at her guests. "We can either eat in the dining room like civilized human beings or we can kick back in the living room so we can have the TV running commentary of whatever trash show Clint likes this week as we relax. Which is it?"

"Ghost Adventures is all new tonight," Clint voices rather excitedly.

Natasha rolls her eyes as Steve smirks, both already heading for the couch with pizza boxes and a few beers in hand as Caroline giggles at the archer. "You know, that's not really trash TV. Ghost Adventures makes for an excellent source of entertainment, even more so when you realize ghosts are real."

"Ghost are real?" Clint's excitement falters. "I thought you said just witches, werewolves, and vampires?"

"Ghosts are real, my friend. Remember Bonnie?" At Clint's nod, Caroline leads him towards the others with the wing boxes in hand and Clint taking the other two pizza boxes. "Well, when Bonnie was just getting the hang of her magic, one of her ancestors possessed her. It was a crazy night."

Clint joins Natasha on the love seat while Caroline takes up the other side of the couch that Steve's on. Pizza boxes get opened, Natasha trading Steve her box when she had his pizza and Caroline trading Natasha since she was now in possession of hers, and vice versa. Clint had his own already in his lap, he happily digging in as Steve passed each of them a beer.

Caroline tunes into Clint's show on the TV, a rerun currently playing which gives the foursome time to eat and chat for a bit before Clint zones out on his weekly ghost adventure. The boxes of wings are left opened atop the coffee table so anyone can reach forward to grab what they want, and the sound of tops being twisted off the beer bottles fill the air.

Caroline happily bites into a warm slice of pizza, her mouthful of food stifling her giggle at Natasha's wrinkled nose of distaste at what she and Clint call good pizza. There's light ribbing from both Natasha and Steve about what an abomination pineapple is on pizza, and Caroline merely shrugs if off and pops a chunk of pineapple in her mouth with smug grin.

The wings make a mess of everyone's fingers and Caroline graciously retrieves paper towels for everyone.

More pizza and wings are eaten, and more beers are opened up and guzzled down.

"So," Clint quietly burps, stretching in his seat as he sets his pizza box atop the coffee table and under the empty boxes of wings. "What's the deal between you and Salvatore?"

Caroline tenses mid swig of her beer, her eyes narrowing on Clint's all too comfortable position. He grins at her, his right eyebrow raising in question, and Caroline scowls at him as she lowers her beverage. "I'm sorry but I didn't know you were a middle-age gossiping  _woman!_ "

"The muscles can be misleading," Natasha throws in. "But Clint's a gossiping woman through and through."

"Hey!" Clint grumbles something that Caroline doesn't care to decipher at his partner and then he's turning his attention back on her. "But really.. what's the story with you and Stefan?"

The blonde vampire huffs with a roll of her eyes, takes yet another swig of her beer, and tells him. "Absolutely nothing."

"Bullshit."

"Agreed," Natasha grins at she pops her last wing into her mouth. "The two of you are too in sync with one another."

"I hate to say but I agree," Steve sheepishly adds in.

Caroline gapes at Steve but ends up shaking her head in amusement. "Fine.. fine," she caves and Clint rubs his hands together in excitement. "Between Stefan and I.. there is- was an attraction."

"I knew it," Clint fist pumps and Natasha punches him in his thigh in retaliation.

"We've talked about said attraction," Caroline continues with an indifferent shrug. "But we decided that it was better if we decided to remain friends."

"Why?" Steve wonders. "If the two of you are compatible, why not see where things will lead?"

"Because we already know it'll lead to heartbreak," she sadly answers. "As you all know, Elena's a doppelganger and it all leads back to a woman named Amara. And well, Stefan is also the doppelganger of Silas. Long ago, Silas betrayed the woman he was supposed to marry and fell for Amara. Stuff went down and as it turned out, all future doppelgangers were cursed to be together no matter what. If you had seen Stefan and Elena together before she was turned, you wouldn't be wondering about Stefan and myself."

"But isn't Elena with Stefan's brother Damon?"

"Yep," Caroline sighs, grinning at Clint. "It's rare for a sire bond to happen when a vampire makes another and well, it happened between Damon and Elena. After she was turned, she didn't feel the same as she had for Stefan and her feelings for Damon were amplified. It's all rather confusing."

The foursome fall into a thoughtful silence after Caroline's words- just in time for the new episode of Clint's show to start. The nearly empty boxes are rearranged on the coffee table as Caroline retrieves another round of beer, and then JARVIS is dimming the lights to set the mood for the episode of Ghost Adventures.

The show is watched with minimal jumping and yelping from Caroline, and it's the first time Clint's laughed through his show. "You're a vampire for crying out loud! How are you scared?!"

"It's creepy," she growls back.

By the end of the show, Caroline's managed to have scooted all the way to Steve's side, hiding her face in his shoulder. And when the lights come back on, no one holds back their laughter at the vampire's expense.

"Ha ha, laugh it up," she grumbles. Steve helps Caroline quickly clean up as the other two stretch their muscles and before any of them can make a move to retrieve their shoes, she gains their attention. "Do you guys have another moment to spare? There's something I wanna run by you three."

The space between Steve's brow crinkles in confusion, and Clint and Natasha slowly retake their seat.

"Is everything okay?"

"Everything fine," she assures Steve and gestures for him to follow her. As Steve retakes his seat, Caroline lowers herself to the ground by the coffee table and produces a folder from the shelf beneath the glass top. Instead of opening it, she clasps her hands together atop it. "It's just, when Mom died, the deed of our home in Mystic Falls now falls under my name."

"Okay," Clint drawls confusedly. "And you're telling us this because.."

"Because technically, I'm dead," she tells him. "Any vampire can waltz in and out of my childhood home now and I owe it to my mom to not let that happen. I need a living being to be put on the deed and-"

"And you want one of us." Natasha says as she's the first to piece Caroline's story together.

"All three of you, actually," the vampire slowly nods but Natasha's still confused.

"If you need a living being, why not just ask your friends back home who aren't a vampire? I'm sure you have more trust built up with them than you us."

"Jeremy's a no-go because he's Elena's little brother and will eventually invite someone in, and Matt and Bonnie have enough on their plate. I wouldn't want to put them in the middle of my fighting with the two vampires I don't want in my childhood home."

"Well, that sounds reasonable," Steve murmurs. "All you need is our signatures?"

Caroline grins and now opens the folder to pull out the paperwork. "Yes. I'm leaving all the utilities on so I'll be taking care of the bills as well as having a caretaker make sure the place is dust free every other week. And since I'm asking this of you, the house is yours to use whenever you'd like."

"Whenever we'd like?"

"Whenever you'd like," Caroline smiles at Clint. "I saw how fond you and Steve were of the Grill, and Matt practically runs the place so there's a familiar face there for you. I'll be staying in New York so after a mission when you need to decompress or just get away from the city, the house is yours to run off to. And with the house under your names, only you three are allowed to invite a vampire in."

"Well, when you put it like that," Clint says as he somehow produces a pen from nowhere and signs away.

Steve's on board with the plan, signing his name along the dotted line and all that's left is Natasha. The redhead purses her lips in thought, gaze roaming over the legal papers before she sighs and looks Caroline in the eye.

"You sure about this? You are aware that if any one of our enemies catches us in that house, the house might become collateral damage."

"I'm aware," the vampire mischievously grins now. "Which is why Bonnie's been working on a spell to ward the neighborhood from any threats to anyone inside the boundary."

And with a mischievous grin of her own, Natasha takes the pen from Steve and signs her name beneath the other two.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just so you know, the bold italics below is going to be when Steve recalls a brief memory.

Once settled in at the tower, Caroline uses the time after her work days to get clean up her abandoned apartment to near perfection. And even though she had broken her lease, the building's owner still tried to give Caroline her security deposit back but she wouldn't take it. Neighbors that she rarely spoke to gave her their condolences and even some of the building's occupants that she never met gave her baskets of goods even though Liz had passed going on two weeks now.

She had made it out of the building without breaking down, though she did shed a few tears and accepted a few hugs here and there.

Getting back into the swing of things this time around at Stark Industries was a bit harder than the first time. The event at the Children's Hospital had come and gone, Caroline opting to not attend. And with no upcoming events currently scheduled to keep her occupied, Caroline found that it was hard to keep up the facade of the bubbly blonde vampire.

Everyone noticed one by one that their resident vampire was slipping, and it took Steve finding Caroline on the brink of shutting off her humanity for people to start stepping in. He hadn't known what compelled him to check up on his friend but either way, Steve was glad he did.

He had asked JARVIS if Caroline was in and after getting the affirmative, he knocks three times one after the other in hopes that one of them gains her attention. He waits patiently and when there's no answer, he fidgets nervously.

"JARVIS, you did say Caroline was in, correct?"

" _Correct, Captain Rogers. Miss Caroline is pacing about the sitting area."_

Frowning, Steve hesitantly reaches up again with a fist and knocks three more times. And again, there's no answer. Instead, there's a heart wrenching scream-slash-sob and then the piercing yet muffled sound of glass shattering.

" _It appears Miss Caroline is distressed-"_ is as far as JARVIS gets before Steve's shouldering the door open.

Sobs pierce the air as Steve stumbles inside Caroline's space, she sitting on her knees and slightly rocking back and forth by her now shattered coffee table. Tears stream down her face and her hands are framing her face as she holds her hair back from her face.

"Caroline? Caroline, look at me." Steve drops to his knees beside her, she shaking her head as she refuses to meet his gaze. "Come on, Care, you need to tell me what's wrong."

"It hurts. It just hurts so much. Please- please, make it stop." Caroline finally meets Steve's worried gaze; he not knowing what to do in a situation like this. So very carefully, he sits on the ground and pulls the crying vampire in between his parted knees so she's leaning against his chest. "I don't want to feel this anymore. I just want it to stop hurting."

"I don't know what's wrong. What hurts, Caroline?" Panicking a brief moment, Steve looks upward towards the ceiling. "JARVIS, get someone in here. Whoever is the closest!"

" _Right away, Sir."_

"I miss her so, so much," Caroline continues to sob, hands clenching the fabric of Steve's shirt. "I just want her back."

And that's when Steve sees it. The framed picture lying in the middle of all the shattered glass that he'd taken of Liz and Caroline atop Stark Tower on New Year's night.

_**Humanity is a vampire's weakness.** _

_**One incident with too many emotions involved is all it takes to flip the switch.** _

_**Once the switch is flipped, bye-bye humanity; hello ruthless killer.** _

"Shit," he softly curses. "Caroline, look at me. I know it hurts, I know, but you have to pull yourself together." He maneuvers Caroline so that one hand falls to her shoulder and the other is tilting her face up to meet his gaze. "Us at the Tower, we've all lost someone. The pain seems like it's unbearable, but it's not. You're one of the strongest people I ever had the pleasure of meeting, Caroline Forbes, so I know you can get past this. It might not be today or tomorrow or even next week, but it will stop hurting eventually."

"I want her back, Steve. I just want her back," she cries.

"I'm sorry, Caroline." She's once more held to his chest, arms now wrapped around her trembling form. "It just doesn't work that way. We all miss her, too, and if you shut down on us, we'll all blame ourselves. We don't want to lose you, too."

Her sobs get louder, fingers clenching the fabric of his shirt as her grief takes over once again. He's too busy trying to console the vampire in his arms that he doesn't hear anyone arrive until he feels a third hand falling to his shoulder.

Pepper's shocked gaze immediately meets his, Steve's own gaze pleading for any type of help. "I- I don't-"

"I know," Pepper quickly assures him. "JARVIS explained as I rushed up here."

Caroline's sobs falter at hearing Pepper's voice but then pick right back up as Pepper reaches forward to slip a piece of hair behind the vampire's ear. "Oh, Caroline."

"I-I'm sorry. I d-didn't mean to-"

"Shh," Pepper coos at her. "There's no need for an apology. If anything, I should be apologizing to you." Caroline shakily meets the elder blonde's gaze, said blonde giving her a shaky smile. "You should have never went back to work as soon as you got back to New York. You should've been given time off to mourn and I'm sorry we didn't enforce that sooner."

"N-no. Pep-"

"Two weeks," Pepper cuts her off. "Two weeks with paid leave and then we'll go from there. You're one of us now, Caroline, and we look out after our own."

* * *

In the aftermath of Caroline's breakdown, the vampire never finds herself alone for a single day. Pepper had made sure to stay with Caroline for that one night while Steve rounded up everyone and explained the situation.

Natasha was the only one who seemed really worried that their resident vampire was on the edge of flipping her humanity off but Steve made sure that the redhead saw reason. Yes, it was scary that they nearly had a homicidal vampire on their hands but Caroline was grieving. She had bottled everything up and refused to mourn, and it all just came crashing down on her at once. But as long as they had a support system around Caroline, they had nothing to worry about because Caroline would never want to hurt any one of them.

So that's how Natasha found herself spending time with the vampire to make sure she didn't hurt anyone. And while Natasha told everyone she was only doing this to keep everyone safe from the blood sucking vampire, deep down they knew it was because- somewhere down the line- Natasha had started to care for her.

**xXx. XxX. xXx**

Shuffling into the kitchen well after noon, Caroline squints against the bright sunlight streaming in through the windows and tries her best to glare with said squinted eyes at the pair of boots resting atop her kitchen table.

"You know, if you're going to temporarily move in, we gonna need some ground rules."

When Caroline had realized that she was not being left alone and everyone was starting to walk on egg shells around her once more, she didn't put up much of a fight when Natasha showed up at her door with a bag of clothing and essentials. She merely opened the door wider to permit the redhead assassin into her domain and pointed down the second hall where the guest bedroom resided.

"Such as?" said redhead doesn't bother to rebut the blonde and instead lets her lips quirk in a brief smirk.

"Such as no feet on the the dining room table." Caroline nudges Natasha's boot-clad feet as she passes by, Natasha then setting her feet down with an all too innocent smile. "And if you finish the coffee before your roommate is up, make a new one."

"It's not my fault you're only waking up now." Natasha's gaze remains on the trashy magazine she had picked up for Caroline a few nights ago, and Caroline huffs in slight aggravation before setting a new pot to brew. And it's only when Caroline has a steaming cup of coffee with a shot of blood added in to the mix does Natasha meet the vampire's gaze. "You staying in today?"

"Probably. Maybe. I dunno. We need more groceries."

"You know that's what JARVIS is for, right? Give him a list and he'll have everything delivered."

"And here I thought you and everyone else wanted me to get some fresh air," Caroline deadpans.

And with a shrug, Natasha grins. "Well it has been four days since you've stepped foot outside. But we're not going to push you. You'll be ready when you're ready."

"Thanks, Natasha." Caroline closes her eyes and sips her drink, sighing in contentment moments later. "You know, I think I will head out today. Maybe pick up some chicken breasts for chicken parmesan that you like."

"If you do, bring enough for everyone. You know Clint and Tony have a special nose radar for that meal."

Caroline slowly smiles at that, the corners of her eyes crinkling with how big her smile is getting, and it's such a sight for sore eyes since Natasha hadn't seen the blonde smile like this since she started crashing at her place. "They do, don't they?"

"Yep. It's very uncanny." Natasha chuckles in agreement. Tossing the magazine towards the middle of the table, she pushes her chair back and prepares to stand. "Do you want company to pick up groceries or can I go spar down in the gym?"

"Who's the lucky opponent?"

"Barton."

"Go spar," Caroline tells her. "And put Barton on his ass for me. Tell him that spying via vents is not an acceptable way to check up on me."

Snorting, Natasha nods. "Got it. And don't forget the red wine."

"Trust me, I won't. I figured out your need for some type of alcoholic beverage when the group gets together."

Grinning approvingly, Natasha picks up a hair-tie from the counter on her way out, tying her hair back as she readies herself for a gym session.

* * *

Sitting with Hawkeye at her back and the Black Widow at her front is a situation Caroline never thought she'd find herself in. His fingers are combing through her hair, parting chunky strands here and there, and going on about some intricate braid that he was about to twist the strands in to. And Natasha- Natasha was buffing Caroline's nails and filing them down in the most amazing manicure Caroline had ever had in her entire existence.

It has been two days since she made the team chicken parmesan and two days since she told herself she was going to put forth an effort to continue being out and about.

Bruce was in the kitchen currently whipping up some Indian dish that he thought everyone should try, Pepper and Tony were sitting at the bar as Pepper listened to Bruce tell a few stories of the dishes he tried while he was on the run, and Tony tinkered with a small robot that kept glitching on him. Steve was in the sitting area near Caroline, he sitting back and sketching how Natasha and Clint were pampering said vampire.

Phone buzzing on the coffee table where Natasha had all the manicure accessories set up, the redhead glares at Caroline when she makes a move to pull a hand free.

"Jeez. No phone. Got it," Caroline squeaks. "Clint, can you get that?"

"On it." The fingers disappear from Caroline's hair and she watches as he leans to the side and then forward to retrieve her phone. Seeing that it's a text message, he tells her as much and she gives him permission to open it and read it aloud. "Uh, Stefan wants to know if it's alright if he enters the Superhero playground."

"Huh?"

"His words, not mine," Clint says and shows her the text message.

"Oh. Uh, guys? Is it alright if Stefan visits?"

"Yep."

"Sure thing."

"No problem."

Bruce, Tony, and Pepper all agree as well so Caroline tells Clint to text him back that it's an affirmative. And seconds later, Clint snorts when her phone buzzes again and he reads the new message.

"Good because he's outside the Tower."

"What? He's here already?!" This time, her hands do pull from Natasha's grasp but at hearing the inhumane growl from the assassin, she slowly deposits them back in her grasps as Clint snickers behind her. "JARVIS, is Stefan really here?"

" _Indeed, Miss Caroline. I've just let him inside the elevator and he's on his way up."_

Caroline is suddenly antsy and given the unconcealed grin, Natasha knows it. But she's not letting go on her grip of Caroline's wrist so the blonde has to endure waiting and greeting her friend from the floor.

When the door dings open, it's like d _éjà vu_  all over again with Stefan showing up with a duffel bag hanging from his shoulder. He's the epitome of calm and collected, sleeves of his henley pushed up to his elbows and his smile stretching as he takes in everyone gathered around.

"Hope I'm not interrupting whatever is you all have going on here."

"Not at all," Pepper assures him, she being the only one who had gotten up to greet him. Briefly hugging him, she smiles and steps back before leading him further into the room. "Bruce was just making dinner. Will you be joining us?"

"I just ate, actually," he sighs though his smile never wavers. "But thanks for asking."

Pepper nods in acknowledgment and makes her way back to Tony- Tony's who's leering at Stefan as he stands around and looks between both groups of people. Deciding to head to the more familiar group, Caroline smiles up at him from her spot on the floor.

"Stefan! I didn't know you were visiting today. Why didn't text me beforehand?"

"It was, uh, it was a last second decision," he fidgets nervously. Clearing his throat, he averts his gaze and forces a grin of false cheer at Clint. "I brought this for you. You were going to be taking care of the vervain garden, right?"

"Yeah. Hey, man," Clint belatedly greets, slipping one hand free from Caroline's hair to do the not-so-original handshake that all men do for some reason. "You finally took the goods from right under your brother's nose?"

"Something like that."

Natasha and Caroline are the only two to tell that something's off with the way Stefan's speaking and skirting around answers- both ladies locking gazes and having a silent conversation before Natasha lets Caroline's wrist go, and the blonde whirls on Stefan with a raised eyebrow.

"Spill. Right now."

The seriousness of Caroline's tone has Bruce faltering in his story telling, his attention as well as everyone else's suddenly being turned to Stefan. And with a sigh, Stefan doesn't bother deflecting. "I got tired of the bullshit," he shrugs. "Besides, Mystic Falls is a bit crowded what with four vampires protecting the town. No one would miss me there and I could use a break."

Shoulders slumping, Caroline offers him a sad grin. "What happened now?"

"Everyone expects me to respect Elena's decision of dating Damon. And I do," he's quick to assure anyone who's listening and shoves his hands in his pockets. "Yet the moment I show interest in someone new, I'm automatically upsetting Elena on purpose and need to cut ties immediately with whoever I'm speaking with."

"That's not fair," Caroline tells him with a frown.

Her gaze darts over his shoulder and when he peers over his shoulder, he finds Tony waiting with an offered glass of booze. "Screw 'em. It's their loss. You can play with the superheroes now." Tony takes a sip of his own drink as Stefan relieves him of the second, the billionaire not even grimacing as the liquid burns down his throat. "Besides, someone has to show Legolas how to maintain the garden of vervain. He'll kill the plants within a week."

"Hey," Clint shouts in protest much to Stefan's amusement. Then grumbling, "I'll kill you within the week," he has Stefan fighting off a grin.

"Sure you would, bird brain. But then who would make your exploding arrowheads that you like so much?" When Clint remains silent, Tony smirks. "Thought so. Anyway," and now giving his attention back to Stefan, he slings an arm around the vampire's shoulders and walks him around the couches so he could take a seat. "When you told us about maintaining a garden full of vervain, I figured I'd make an indoor green room. The light fixtures are artificial sun so be sure to keep your ring on when going in. I don't want Little Bit to take a chunk out of my throat should something happen to you."

Caroline mutters in agreement, having turned her attention back to Natasha when she saw that her new friends were taking care of her old one. Stefan gets pushed onto the couch that Clint's sitting on, he smiling nervously at Steve who finally greets him and then turns his attention back to Tony who kept on walking and is making his way back to Pepper.

"So, you left Mystic Falls," Caroline suddenly drawls. "For how long?"

"Long enough that I'm going apartment hunting tomorrow morning."

Caroline's attention quickly snaps back to Stefan, a smile stretching her lips. "No way."

"Yes way," he chuckles. "Besides, everyone else is going to have to skip town soon, anyway, what with the non-aging."

"But you're in New York," Caroline continues on in excitement. "No more long distant friendship. We can do stuff now!"

"Little Bit, you're way too excited about this."

"Says you," she whirls on Tony. "All your friends live here. Mine were back in Mystic Falls."

"Are you saying we're not your friends?" Clint asks as he tugs on her hair.

Tilting her head upward now, Caroline winks at Barton. "You know I adore you, babe, but it's just a tad bit different between you lot here and those back in Mystic Falls."

And understanding where she's coming from, Barton winks back. "I know. I'm just messing with you."

As Natasha finishes up on one hand of Caroline's and starts on the other- Pepper, Tony, and Bruce join everyone in the sitting room as the food cooks on low heat in the kitchen.

"So if you going to hunt for an apartment tomorrow," Tony starts. "Where are you staying tonight?"

Turning his attention to Tony, Stefan shrugs. "I found an open room at a hotel."

"A hotel? No," Tony scoffs. "Forbes has a guest bedroom on her floor that you can crash in and if she's being selfish, well then there's plenty of guest apartments here in the Tower. Hell, if you want, you can move into one of the guest apartments. It's better than paying an outrageous amount of money for a place that's really not worth it."

"Oh, uh, I don't think that's a good idea," Stefan stammers. "But thanks for the offer, I guess."

"Not a good idea," Pepper frowns. "Why not?"

Stefan's smile falters and Caroline huffs when he doesn't answer. "It's been years, Stefan. Stop beating yourself up."

"It's better if I keep my distance, Caroline. This way, I won't disappoint anyone."

"Bullshit. You crave a family environment just like the rest of us. And besides, you have control. Your control has never been better."

Stefan and Caroline held each other's gaze, a silent conversation going on between the two before Clint hums aloud. "Am I the only one confused here?"

"Nope. I'm pretty curious myself, Forbes. Wanna fill us in?"

The two vampires continue to stare before Stefan sighs and shrugs, getting up and putting some distance between himself and the group as Caroline clears her throat. "Stefan tries to not get too close to new people in fear of his past making them uncomfortable and terrified. But," Caroline says loudly before staring each and everyone in the eye. "His past is behind him and he's a hell of a lot better now. He has been for a while."

"Peachy," Tony sarcastically says. "But what's so bad about his past that will make  _us_ uncomfortable? We're not exactly squeaky clean, Forbes."

All gazes fall on Caroline who's staring at Stefan's back. He's standing by the window now, looking out at the view of New York. "Did Caroline tell you how we transition into vampires?"

"Yeah. You gotta drink human blood," Clint answers.

"Yeah, well, when my father killed Damon and I; I woke up angry." His back remains to them though he can see everyone paying attention by their reflection in the window. "Our father hadn't known that Katherine fed us her blood so when I found him in his study, it was a bit of shock for him to see me standing there. Before he could call out for help, I ripped into his throat." Pepper's the only one to gasp but out of shock, not fear.

"Since Katherine disappeared, we didn't have anyone to teach us the ropes of being a vampire. Damon had left right away because I was the one who forced blood down his throat when he said he didn't want to complete the transition, and I didn't know how to control myself. And when a vampire doesn't know how to control themselves, they eventually become-"

"A ripper," Steve says in awe. When everyone turns their attention to Steve, he keeps on explaining. "Liz told me about rippers," he says, casting a sad smile at Caroline who looked away at the mention of her mother's name. "She said rippers are the worst of the worst. Some are extremely feral and savage but others are filled with compassion and human emotions but they can't control their blood lust."

"She was correct," Stefan nods as he finally faces them. "My humanity was there but I just couldn't stop drinking blood. It was so bad that I eventually got the nickname the Ripper of Monterrey." He gulps at having his past being put out in the open but so far, no one had told him to leave.

"But then he met Lexi," Caroline encourages. And when Stefan meets her gaze, he smiles right back.

"Lexi taught me control," Stefan continues as he relives the past. "She showed me that we could live off of animal blood and so I did. I was doing good but would fall off the wagon whenever Damon would reappear in my life. Since I forced his transition, he promised me a lifetime of misery and usually drove me to drinking human blood once again."

"But you drink human blood now," Bruce's brows furrow. "Caroline's told us that you feed on human blood."

"Because I can control it now," he tells them. "I don't drink as much as I should but I can control the blood lust now. All it takes is jiminy cricket over there," he nods at Caroline. "-to keep me on the right path."

Caroline snorts and shakes her head in amusement, everyone falling silent after his story.

Well, not everyone.

"See! It's stuff like that makes me believe you two are a couple; soul-mates be damned!"

Caroline groans at Tony's words and one by one, everyone starts to chuckle and get back into what they were originally doing before they got into Stefan's past.

Bruce goes back into the kitchen, Tony and Pepper head back to the bar to refill their glasses, Clint starts putting the finishing touches on what appears to be a fishtail braid, Steve goes back to sketching with a smile on his lips, and Natasha's putting the finishing coat of polish on Caroline's nails.

But Stefan- Stefan's confused as to why no one's berating him or kicking him out. "That's it?"

Natasha and Caroline are the only two to hear his astonished question- both ladies looking up at him but it's Natasha who stands to her feet and makes her way towards him. As she nears, she crosses her arms over her chest and remains looking out the window until Stefan turns with her.

"Did Caroline ever tell you who I was?"

"She just said you were an agent and that a lot about you was classified."

"And she would be right," Natasha agrees and briefly makes eye contact with him. "I'm a spy- an assassin- and I used to play for the wrong team. I killed a lot of people and made such a bad name for myself that they sent agent Barton in to take me out. Only," she pauses then, casting a look over her shoulder to where Clint and Caroline are chatting to one another and laughing. "-only Barton made a different call. He brought me in and I defected from Russia. But that's my past," she tells him. "That is my past just like being a ripper is part of your past. The only thing that counts is that you make up for your past mistakes and make yourself a better person."

Having said her piece, Natasha stares up at Stefan and casts him a brief grin at seeing he somewhat understands why they were so understanding and welcoming. "But know this, you will be put on temporary probation. And if you ever fall off the wagon, we'll continuously inject you with so much vervain until you're pleading that you're ready to walk the straight and narrow again."

"Understandable."

"Then good. Relax and enjoy your stay." And with that, Natasha quickly pats Stefan on the bicep before rejoining Caroline and Clint.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a teeny bit of violence in this chapter. I wouldn't go as far as saying it's in graphic detail.. but it is somewhat detailed so be warned.

 

 **Outfit** : [polyvore](http://www.polyvore.com/tortured/set?id=145195161)

*

Stefan, as it turns out, opts for getting his own apartment that's not inside Stark Tower. Although, one of his conditions since they weren't going to push for him living in the Tower was that Pepper got to apartment hunt with him since she had better taste than everyone combined. He obliged, letting Pepper and Caroline hunt with him since Caroline was still on paid leave, and getting out and about was doing wonders for the blonde vampire. And in only a day, with very little compelling, they found Stefan the perfect apartment with a decent view and decent rent only seven blocks away.

Stefan still ends up at the Tower most days, he either meeting Caroline for lunch or meeting up with Clint, Tony, and Bruce to show them when it was best to plant the vervain and how to tend to it properly.

Natasha, Steve, and Pepper took to Stefan just like they'd taken to Caroline- treating him like one of their own fairly quickly. And since Stefan had moved to New York, it was rare for he and Caroline to be alone but those nights did happen when the two friends just wanted their own time together. Much like tonight, actually.

The two vampires had wanted to get away from the crazy antics and mini explosions of Tony, and sometimes Clint, so they agreed on ordering in Chinese. Popping open a few beers, the two settled in for a night of pure laziness before Caroline had to go back to the Tower to prepare an outfit for work the following morning.

After splitting two pizzas, numerous bottles of beers, talked about how Bonnie was doing in college and the shenanigans Matt kept finding himself in back in Mystic Falls- the duo finally decide to call it a night. Stefan immediately starts on the cleanup and Caroline starts to slip on her dark wash denim jacket over a frilly beige tank top before tugging on her brown knee-high boots.

"You text Steve yet that you're on your way?" Stefan asks when he sees Caroline pulling her hair out from the inside of her jacket, a grin tilting the corner of his lips upward.

As much as Caroline wants to be annoyed with Steve's system of checking in before going from Stefan's place back to hers late at night, she can't. She actually finds it adorable which only fuels Stefan and Clint's teasing since Steve started walking Caroline to and from places when she decided to go out on her own. "Laugh it up, Captain Hair," she tells him as she slips out her phone to send off said text. "I'll just tell Natasha and Pepper that you were in on Clint and Tony's prank to put flour in their blow dryers."

Amusement disappearing, Stefan gulps. "You wouldn't."

"I would."

Text message sent, Caroline pockets her phone once more and smiles sweetly at her friend.

"The day the three of you decide to take over the world, we're all doomed."

"Duh. Why do you think Clint, Tony, Steve, and Bruce never leave any of us alone in a room?"

Stefan shakes his head in fond amusement as his friend adopts a teasing grin- Caroline flashing up to him for her goodbye hug before reminding him to pick up Panera for lunch the following afternoon. But the second she's outside of Stefan's apartment and taking the elevator to the ground floor, her smile drops and the heartache takes it's rightful place.

It'd been a little over a month and a half that her mom's been gone, and it still hurts just as much as the first day.

As she opens the main door to the building and the cold air hits her, Caroline hugs herself to keep warm. Even though she was a vampire, the nippy wind still affected her.

She keeps to the shadows and takes her time getting back to the Tower- time in which she'll use to rebuild her walls but taking her time would end up being her biggest mistake of the night. There weren't many people walking out and about at the moment, but there were a few heartbeats that Caroline picked up. The occasional car passed by, and lights flicked either on or off in nearby buildings to signify someone staying in late or barely heading home.

Her mind is too focused on the past and reliving memories of her mother that she doesn't realize bodies have slipped from the shadows and are discreetly boxing her in. And she still doesn't notice their proximity until she's coming up on a darkened street between buildings- she getting violently shoved to the side so she's out of sight.

"What the-"

"Shutup," a man snarls at her.

Sighing, Caroline takes a moment to catalog the numerous towering men that have her isolated. Even though the lighting is dim, her eyes adjust quickly and since she has the supernatural on her side, she can easily see that all her would- be assailants are about middle-aged and well muscled.

"Look," she sighs. "I don't have a purse as you can probably see so I don't-"

"I said shutup!" A gun is pulled from the back of the main guy's pants and Caroline stands just a little bit straighter. More weapons are pulled on her, and her attention zeroes in on how she can un-arm them instead of simply running away. But the next words out of the man's mouth have her mind screeching to a halt. "We don't want your money. We want answers. We want to know everything you know about all those so called world's mightiest heroes."

"H-heroes," she plays dumb. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes, you do. We see you coming in and out of Stark Tower all the time."

"Because I work there," she scowls at him, her fear disappearing as annoyance takes it's place. "I work for Mr. Stark and Ms. Potts. I don't deal with any heroes."

The one man who's doing all the talking slowly smiles, he waving the gun at her. "And that's where you're lying. You see, we've been watching you, Caroline Forbes. We know which superheroes have a soft spot for you, and which ones would be angry and offer up anything we demand in exchange for you coming back in one piece."

"So you're gonna kidnap me," she scoffs incredulously. And with a radiant smile, she laughs in their face. "Oh, buddy, you really have no idea who you just kidnapped."

Caroline finds it funny that these men think they can take her but before she can spring into action to show them what she's made of, one of them who doesn't think she's so hilarious steps forward and strikes her across the face. One punch shouldn't have done much to Caroline but what will be much to her surprise later, she crumbles to the ground in a heap.

**xXx. XxX. xXx**

Steve's knee bounces nervously, three mugs of what was warm milk and a plate of cookies sitting between him and Natasha. He's too busy checking his phone that he doesn't see Natasha's amused grin directed at him.

"You know, watching you worry is kind of cute."

Startled, Steve's head snaps up from his phone's screen to stare at his friend. "I'm not worried."

"Really," Natasha drawls. "You don't act like this when I'm taking too long to get home, do you?"

She seems fairly amused at Steve's anxiousness but that's because she doesn't know. While the three of them have been meeting up for a week for milk and cookies at night, and talking, Steve usually took the time to calculate how long it took Caroline to get to and from places when she was out on her own. So, of course, he knew that it took less than two minutes for Caroline to use vampire speed to get to the Tower from Stefan's. And now that it's going on five minutes since Caroline told him she was on her way, well, he was worried.

"That's different," he manages to answer after a moment which only causes Natasha's grin to grow. "You're Natasha. You can kill someone with just your pinky."

"And she's Caroline. She can literally rip someone's heart out with her bare hand in less than a second." Steve pouts and after letting the pout linger, Natasha huffs. "Give her a few more minutes. If she doesn't show up, I'll help you look for her."

Ten minutes come and go with neither Steve or Natasha getting replies from Caroline and when they finally call her cell, it goes straight to voicemail.

"I'm calling Salvatore," Natasha grimly states. "If she's not with him, we get Tony involved. We're going to have to hack into the street cameras."

Steve can only gulp and agree- his phone then being set down atop the bar top because if he kept in hand, he'd break it in half. Natasha quickly finds Stefan's contact information in her phone, presses his name and puts the phone up to her ear. She appears calmer than what Steve feels but the moment she speaks, he knows she's starting to really worry with how clipped and stern her tone is.

"Is Caroline with you?" she asks immediately as a way of greeting. Stefan's voice is too low to hear even for Steve's usually enhanced hearing but the second Natasha visibly tenses, he knows that their friend is not there with him. "No, she hasn't showed up." Natasha states. She gives the faintest of hums after a few seconds and then she's disconnecting the call.

"Well?" Steve eagerly wonders.

Shaking her head, Steve's chest tightens even more. "She left a while ago. Stefan says she has a set path that she takes from here to there and he watched her for two blocks before she was out of sight as usual. He's on his way here and along the way, he's going to check out the path to make sure there's nothing out of the norm."

"Good," he nods at her. "JARVIS, get Tony down here. Doesn't matter if he's busy. Tell him it's urgent. And when Stefan gets here, bring him on up."

" _Right away, Captain. Of course."_

In the time that it takes Tony to drop whatever he's doing and join his two team mates on the Communal Floor, the milk has been poured down the drain and the cookies trashed. Vodka now sits on the counter and even though Steve can't feel the alcohol's effect, it doesn't stop him from tossing a few shots back in his worry.

Tony has apparently been briefed by JARVIS on the situation, he joining them with a laptop and a mat that he immediately sets down on the bar top where it's empty. He doesn't say anything and appears to be in Iron Man mode though the suit is nowhere to be seen. The second his laptop comes to life and a few buttons are clicked, the mat projects holographic images at eye level and they're faced with various security feeds from the street cameras surrounding Stark Tower, and all the blocks in between them and Stefan's apartment.

"So the Captain was right," Stark finally admits, his gaze seeking out Steve's and then Natasha's. "Caroline is missing and it's not because she chose to go missing. Someone took her."

Before Steve or Natasha can even react to that news, the elevator is dinging open and all the occupants tense for the visitor. It's Stefan- Stefan who's holding a crushed cellphone in hand and staring worriedly at everyone. "It's Caroline's. I found it in the street three blocks from here."

"Son of bitch," Steve swears and starts to pace.

Tony's lips thin and without making a jab at Rogers for swearing, he immediately starts typing and talking to JARVIS at the same time. "Hey, J, did Caroline have her Stark phone on her as well? That has GPS in it."

" _No, Sir. Miss Caroline seems to have left her Stark phone in her room."_

"Dammit." Tony continues to type, the various street camera angles speeding back in time. "Alright, J, I need your help on this. See if Caroline's in any of the footage we got. We need to know what happened to Little Bit."

" _Of course, Sir."_ The images flicker where they're floating in mid-air, the other three stepping up beside and behind Tony to watch the camera feeds as they speed back through recorded footage from before Caroline had went missing.  _"Sir, on cameras thirty-nine and forty-four, I've found who appears to be Miss Caroline."_

Tony finds the first camera feed JARVIS pointed out, pinching the image between fingers and enlarging it. The footage has been paused and once it's large enough, Tony hits play. They watch as Caroline is walking down the street, men suddenly flanking her without her even taking notice. More men appear causing Stefan and Steve to tense, and the second Caroline's pushed out of view, Tony's swiping away that camera feed and bringing up the second one.

They watch anxiously as she's surrounded by men, hearts racing when weapons are pulled out and Caroline has the audacity to show amusement after showing annoyance at the men pointing guns at her.

"JARVIS, start facial recognition on the men you can see. I want to know who these bastards are."

" _My pleasure, Sir."_

"I don't get it," Natasha voices. "She could easily get away. Why didn't she?"

"Caroline's a sloppy fighter," Stefan answers, crossing his arms over his chest. "One of the only things she struggles with now is controlling her strength. She's not a fan of killing unless circumstances call for it." The punch to Caroline comes out of nowhere, everyone startling as Caroline crumples. "Wait, rewind that!" Tony does as Stefan says, rewinding the footage just before the punch and watching it all over again. Shaking his head, Stefan frowns. "She should have gotten up from that. And from the looks of how they sling her over their shoulders and stuff her in the backseat of a car, they most likely unknowingly snapped her neck."

"They snapped her neck?!"

" _Sir,"_ JARVIS interrupts before Steve could go on a tirade.  _"Facial recognition has picked out a few gentlemen from the footage. The most I could find are a couple of P.I arrests, a few instances over the years of someone trying to hack government files but the perpetrator was always let go, and a couple of battery charges."_

"That's not nearly enough to run off of," Natasha sighs. "I hate even suggesting this, but JARVIS, do you still have access to S.H.I.E.L.D's files?"

There's a moment of silence and then,  _"If instructed, I can easily get in, agent Romanoff."_

"Do it. S.H.I.E.L.D always keeps an eye on hackers. Always. If this guy is even a teeny bit good, he'll have a file."

JARVIS doesn't bother with a reply and gets to work.

"If they snapped her neck," Steve suddenly voices. "She'll be alright, right? I mean, I saw her get shot point blank in the head but this- this is different."

"She'll be fine." Stefan's quick to assure him even though it appears his interest has been piqued at the Captain's worry. "She'll have a headache when she wakes up though."

Steve absently nods and he goes back to pacing, and when Stefan catches Natasha's gaze, she gives him a brief amused grin before shrugging it off all together.

" _Sir, it appears that S.H.I.E.L.D has a rather large file with several of the men's photos included. I've sent the file to your laptop."_

"Thanks, J."

" _You're welcome, Sir."_

Tony's quick to open the file just as everyone gathers behind his back to see what was found. Since the vehicles that drove away from the scene of the crime had no identifiable marks on it nor license plates, they don't have much to go on and hope S.H.I.E.L.D does.

"Well, we know why they probably took Caroline," Tony grumbles. "They're a group that both hate the Avengers and are jealous of us."

"They have a whole blog dedicated to shaming you," Stefan supplies. "Why?"

"After the alien invasion, we were blamed for bringing them here and causing more than half the damage. Perks of saving the world," Natasha shrugs. "Some people also believe that the weapons we have access to should be made for the public to purchase like regular weapons."

"They started off as a bunch of conspiracy nut jobs but after we went public, they refocused their hate and paranoia on us," Tony continues. "They're calling themselves CHAOS and S.H.I.E.L.D's main focus on them is the hate for us and the fact they have a decent hacker in their midst. No known base of operations since they're constantly on the move."

"So we have no lead." Steve curses yet again, moving away from the group to pace angrily on his own.

"Actually," Stefan fidgets when all gazes turn to him. "We can make our own lead."

"What are you talking about?"

Stefan stares at Steve and then moves to retrieve his own phone without answering his question. "Just give me a moment." They all watch silently as Stefan goes through his phone, finding whatever it is he was looking for and pressing the phone to his ear. After a few moments, he slowly smiles. "Bonnie, we have a problem."

**xXx. XxX. xXx**

When Caroline comes to, she's very disorientated and agitated. She feels sluggish and not at all comfortable waking up on a cold concrete floor. Though the second she sits up and moves her legs, she hears the jingling of a chain and realizes one of them is chained to the floor. When she actually takes a moment to look around, she's in a cell.

"No, no, no," she panics.

How long had she been out? From the feel of it, her neck had been snapped but vampires usually heal fairly quickly from snapped necks. The longest she'd ever seen a vampire take to come back was fifteen minutes so how the hell had she ended up in a cage and chained up in less than that?

Was she somewhere close to the Tower? 'Cause if that were the case, the team would find her fairly quickly. But that's what they wanted, yes? They were asking her questions about the Avengers so maybe that's what they wanted and if that was the case, she'd stall as long as possible.

"Ah, the little girl is awake," a man croons. Caroline's attention snaps the corner of the room where a man is seated on a wooden stool and staring at her. The scenario is reminding her too much of the time the werewolves took her and it sets her sluggish heart into a faster rhythm. "We were wondering if Claude had hit you too hard."

"Yeah, well, I am a girl," she huffs but then groans a second later. "You didn't have to hit me so hard. You had guns. Did you really think I'd run away?"

Well, she would. She easily could have but she didn't want him knowing that.

And with a careless shrug, the man stands to his feet and steps forward. He has short cropped black hair, a trimmed salt-n-pepper beard, and is very tanned with crows feet and laugh lines though he doesn't seem so chipper. Dark eyes lock onto Caroline's as he slowly opens up the door to her cell, he stepping in and squatting just a foot in front of her.

"Now tell us, Sweetheart. What is Stark and the merry band of so-called heroes up to in that Tower of theirs?"

"I told you," she nearly growls and leans forward. "I work for Stark and Potts on SI events. I don't know anything about the others."

The backhanded slap comes out of nowhere- Caroline's head snapping to the left with the force he had put behind the hit. His knuckle connected with her lip seeing as she felt the skin split open upon impact, and as her hair hides her face, she's left breathing through her anger and willing her fangs to go away which had dropped in defense.

"You're lying," he snarls. When Caroline flicks her hair back with a jerk of her head and licks the blood off her lip, she immediately knows that was her second mistake of the night when the man's eyes zero in on her now  _healed_  lip. "Well, well, well. Would you look at that. You've been holding out."

"Go to hell."

"Oh honey, I will, but not yet. No. We're gonna have some fun."

The smile he directs down at her actually has Caroline reeling from fear and cowering back into the corner of her cell.

**xXx. XxX. xXx**

"I don't like this, Tony. This is taking too long."

"We're going as fast as we can, Pep," Tony sighs. "These guys covered their tracks good. Steve, Natasha, and Clint procured a quinjet and are on their way to pick up the witch, and Stefan said she can work a locator spell that will lead us directly to her."

"It's true," Stefan pipes up from the kitchen where Bruce was making them some calming tea. "Bonnie's good at what she does. We'll have Caroline back in no time."

"But still," Pepper wrings her hands, body tense as she worries. "Caroline's a vampire. Why didn't she get away? They could be torturing her for all we know!"

And smiling sadly, Stefan shrugs. "It wouldn't be the first time she's been tortured. Caroline can hold out until we get there. She's strong enough."

Though Stefan's doing everything to assure them that Caroline can take care of herself, they're not at all that convinced especially since torture was brought up and just the thought that she could be enduring it.. well, it doesn't sit well with any of them.

"JARVIS," Tony gulps and then downs a drink to calm her nerves. "Tell the assassins to hurry."

**xXx. XxX. xXx**

Caroline screams as a blade is dragged along her abdomen- her kidnappers lingering around to watch as her skin stitches itself back together with morbid fascination. Her arms are above her head now, shackles around her wrists to keep her bloodied arms in place. Her ankles are shackled as well, all in hope of keeping her in place so the men could see her ability.

"What are you?" someone asks. "How did they make you?"

"Stop, please, stop." She cries. "I wasn't made. I'm not anything."

"You're lying. If you were nothing, you wouldn't be able to heal like this." The blade gets yanked back and then abruptly stabbed into her gut, Caroline's scream of anguish echoing around the cell as people mutter angrily around her and wondering how she's able to heal. The blade pulls free with a squelch and Caroline goes limp with a sob. "It's bad enough these freaks are calling themselves heroes but now they're experimenting?! What was it, huh?" The man in charge of the torture roughly grasps her chin and tilts her head to look at him. "Is it a serum? Are they trying to make more soldiers? Answer me?!"

Gulping down her screams and pushing her head downward until the angrily pulsing veins disappear from beneath her eyes, Caroline gathers her strength and courage to finally look her torturer in the eye. "Screw you."

The man snorts as he gets closer to her, gripping her hair tightly in one hand and yanking her head back until her throat's exposed. "You're not talking nearly enough, sweetheart, but since we've started our little experiment, I've been wondering if whatever serum is running through your system can stitch up a slit throat before you bleed out."

Caroline's eyes widen but before she can plead with the man to stop, the blade is slicing through the flesh of her throat and she's left gurgling on her own blood.

**xXx. XxX. xXx**

When Bonnie gets flown to Stark Tower in possibly the fastest jet she's ever seen, she's got all of her superhero giddiness out of her system. She had been angry when Stefan filled her in about Caroline's kidnapping- her friend only being taken because of information she possibly had on the Avengers- and then downright confused when Steve Rogers got on the phone and started talking about an extraction point and time.

The jet she was picked up in in an empty field just on the outskirts of Mystic Falls was highly impressive but not as impressive as seeing Steve Rogers in his Captain America getup as well as the pilots. When she had been introduced to agents Barton and Romanoff at Liz's funeral and told who they really were, she didn't think anything of it. But seeing them suited up, it was an entirely different situation.

She gave herself a couple of moments to stew in awe of the people her friend knew and hung out with before Steve- er, Captain America- started filling her in on CHAOS and possible torture that Caroline might be enduring. She gripped her bag tight, every necessity she thought she'd need for working whatever spell the Avengers needed to help find her friend inside, and prayed that Caroline hung in there.

At the Tower, she stomps in behind Captain America to meet everyone gathered on the Communal Floor, ready to plan. Bonnie takes yet another moment to look around and when her gaze lands on Bruce, her head tilts in confusion. "Are you one of the Avengers, too? I don't remember much of the introductions from Liz's funeral."

"Uh, no." Bruce is quick to intervene when no one says anything to help him out. "I'm just-"

"You're the green one." And that- that makes everyone freeze and stare.

"How did you-"

"My magic. It senses it," she smiles sheepishly. "I'm sorry if I overstepped. I didn't mean to."

Bruce openly gapes for a second and then quickly shuts his mouth, his shoulders tense as he starts to nervously fiddle with his glasses. "It's fine. Most people tend to be afraid when they figure it out so I usually just don't say anything."

"Most people are stupid," Bonnie shrugs and sets her bag atop the bar top. "Any friend of Caroline is a friend of mine."

"That's swell and all," Tony interrupts their moment. "But I think I speak for everyone when I say that we'd highly appreciate it if you hurry up and do whatever mojo it is you have planned to get Little Bit back."

"Oh, right.. right," Bonnie mumbles and immediately gets to work. They watch as she rolls up the sleeves of her opened flannel shirt and then pulls out several maps from the bag she brought, a couple of candles, and a handy switch blade. There's a leather bound book that gets pulled out as well but she simply pushes it aside in favor of spreading open the map of all the states. "I can do two locator spells to see if they moved states within the couple of hours they've had her and then the second one to see exactly where in that state she's in but I'm gonna need some hair from her. Does anyone have access to her bathroom for a comb?"

"I'm on it," Natasha speaks up. "I've stayed with her for a couple of weeks so I know where everything's at in her place."

Bonnie nods and as Natasha disappears to retrieve what Bonnie needs, Bonnie skims through her grimoire for any other spell that might come in handy. There's one that she'd forgotten even existed but that was more of a spell to use when they were closer to Caroline's location so she quickly memorizes it just as Natasha comes back with a brush that belongs to Caroline.

The map of the states lies flat on the bar, three candles being placed on either side of said map and above it. Shaking out her shoulders and limbs, and clearing her mind, Bonnie then concentrates on the candles.  _"Phasmatos incendia."_ All three wicks ignite in flames at the same time and the gathered Avengers shift in place. She's quick to open the blade of her knife, pulling free strands of Caroline's hair from the brush before wrapping the stands around the handle of the knife as she mumbles in Latin too low for anyone to hear. She cuts the fleshiest part of her palm, letting blood fall and pool in the middle of the map before wrapping her hand in a cloth that Stefan had ready. " _Phasmatos tribum, nas ex veras sequita saguines ementas asten mihan ega petous."_

No one speaks as the blood starts moving on it's own, everyone holding their breath as a line of blood stops just over New York.

"Seriously," Clint scoffs. "They're still in state?"

"Looks like it," Bonnie murmurs.

She's quick to flip through other maps in her bag, pulling out yet another one that's solely the cities of New York. She repeats the locator spell after spilling some more blood and everyone starts frantically talking all at once when the blood stops over Manhattan.

"I-I can't go," Bruce stammers. "There's a really good chance the Other Guy will make an appearance and I don't want to destroy the city even more."

"That's fine," Steve hurriedly agrees. "Tony, suit up. Stefan and Ms. Bennett-"

"We're going," they say in unison, cutting off the Captain and whatever order he was about to give. "She's our friend and we're going to help bring her back," Bonnie continues. "You can't stop us."

**xXx. XxX. xXx**

"You know, you heal up nicely when it comes to blades," Jeff, (Caroline had learned the asshole's name in between her screams), says as he tugs at her blood soaked shirt. "But do you heal up the same when pumped full of bullets?"

"Stop. Just stop," Caroline tiredly rasps, head hanging forward. "I'm nothing like what you're thinking."

"That wasn't a no," Jeff sardonically chuckles. "Gun."

She whimpers as she hears feet shuffling closer, her hands moving to grip the chains that's holding her in place in preparation for the impending pain. She's waited too long to even attempt an escape- she having been drained too much of her blood to have any real strength left. She cringes at the sound of metal sliding on metal as Jeff slides a bullet into the chamber of the gun, and grips the chains even tighter just before a scream is ripped from her throat as two bullets are fired into the right area of her chest.

Tutting, Jeff steps closer and presses a finger against the two wounds that don't appear to be healing. "So you don't heal from everything. Such a shame." Well, she would heal if he'd have dug out the bullets but Caroline wasn't about to tell him that. "Mark down that bullets are a weakness," he tells someone towards the back of the room who's writing on a clipboard. "Stark calls himself a genius yet this girl doesn't even heal from a bullet wound. Pathetic."

"It's not- not a serum. How many times do I have to tell you," Caroline cries.

"You can say it all you want," Jeff shrugs. "Until you give me a concrete answer, we're just going to see what heals and what doesn't. Lower her to the ground," he then calls out over his shoulder. "We're gonna check her bones."

"No, no, no. No more."

"I don't care. Until you give me answers-" Caroline's cries cut him off as her body jerks when the chains let up some and she slides to the ground. She scoots backward until her back hits a wall which then leaves her legs outstretched and the perfect target for her torturer. A boot clad foot settles down on her shin and Caroline's eyes widen when Jeff puts some pressure on it. "Now, now. Let's see if this heals."

His knee lifts high and then drops down with as much force as possible, Caroline screaming her throat raw as the bone audibly breaks in half. She tries to curl her leg towards her but the shackles around her ankles prevent from doing so. So instead, she's left crying and pleading and praying that her friends find her soon.

Jeff gives Caroline a few moments and then he's squatting down and checking her leg. But before he can call out that it has indeed healed, a piece of paper magically appears right before his eyes on Caroline's thigh.

"What is that? How did you do that?!"

Caroline's gaze flutters down to what Jeff's freaking out over, the paper having words scorched into it and it takes her a moment to read it upside down. Jeff quickly snatches it up but not before Caroline had read what it said and she starts to chuckle out of relief. "You're in way over you head."

"Really?" Jeff's gaze darts between Caroline and the paper in his hand. "And why do you say that?"

"Because." Caroline's breath stutters in her chest as she forces herself to sit up. "If the person who sent that," she gestures to the note in his hand. "-is here, then Stefan sent for her. And if Stefan was worried enough to send for her, he's going to be pissed when he see's what you've done to me. You see, Stefan's like me only he's less controllable than I am."

"Yeah?" Jeff leans forward now, eager to know more now that Caroline's talking and forgetting all about the magic note. "What are you?"

And finally-  _finally!-_ Caroline let's her vampire visage bleed to the surface with a hiss. "A monster."

An explosion sounds directly above them, dust and chunks of the concrete ceiling falling as everyone starts to scatter. Jeff scrambles back from Caroline all wide-eyed, the paper with the words  _ **we're here**_ falling from his grasp. And when the shouting and gun fire begin, Caroline can't help but give Jeff a fangy grin.

**xXx. XxX. xXx**

"Bonnie, you're staying by my side once we get in," Steve tells her and Bonnie immediately moves to his side as she swipes her beanie off her head and lays it on Steve's bike. When they found out that Caroline was being held only ten minutes away from the Tower, they decided against the jet and Steve took Bonnie on his bike. Stefan had surprisingly hooked an arm around Natasha's waist and ran with her, and Tony gripped Clint by the back of his kevlar as he flew them to their destination. "Stefan, stay with Iron Man, and Hawkeye will be with Widow."

Everyone agrees and move towards their mentioned partner, Natasha prepping a gun and Clint notching an arrow on his bow. "The main mission is for Bonnie and I to find Caroline. The rest of you, detain everybody without killing." Clint and Tony twitch at the command, and Steve turns to Stefan. "Although, if we find a few ripped out throats, I'm sure we can look the other way."

Stefan's lip curls into a cruel smirk, showcasing his fangs as the veins beneath his eyes pulse greedily.

"Alright, alright, let's go." Tony's Iron Man face plate slides down over his face. "Let's go get our kid back."

They all follow Tony's lead the short distance to an orange brick building with all it's windows boarded up, the repulsors in his gloves whirring to life as he takes aim and fires at a metal door. The inside is surprisingly empty but after a few moments, Stefan points out to where he can hear people running towards them and everyone prepares. Gunshots ring out and Bonnie is surprised to be yanked down with Steve behind his shield. She scoffs at him as Natasha returns gun fire, Clint looses a few arrows, and Stefan flashes around the room scaring the life out of people.

"I'm here to help; not be another damsel." Bonnie says. Steve watches her curiously as she steps out from behind the shield, and with a dramatic sweep of her arm, several men and women who are closest to them fly to the side and are knocked unconscious as they hit a wall. "Shall we go find Caroline now?"

Steve gulps and nods, quickly getting over his awe of magic, and strides side-by-side with Bonnie as they search the building. They're quick to work out a system, he shielding the both of them from incoming bullets just before Bonnie flings their obstacle out of the way to continue on. They only run into a few problems and when they find the stairwell that leads downward, there's only one man armed with a blade and a gun protecting a door that Bonnie dispatches quickly.

As they step into the room, though, it's Steve who stops short at the sight of Caroline. Bonnie rushes forward without a second thought and he just stares as the witch squats down to help her friend. Caroline's hair is matted down with sweat, the color of her shirt is unrecognizable because of the amount of blood that has been shed, and there holes and tears in her clothing that suggests knife wounds and bullet wounds.

"Bonnie?" she slurs.

"Hey, Care," she blinks back tears of her own. "You're safe now. We're going to take you home." She gulps down the lump of emotion in her throat and tears her gaze from Caroline to Captain America. "Steve, come on. I need your help down here."

"Steve?"

It's Caroline's weak voice that has him jumping into action, his shield falling from his hands as he rushes forward to help. Bonnie's got two shackles already magically opened and Steve yanks the other two chains from the ceiling and floor as Bonnie works on releasing the shackles from Caroline's other wrist and ankle.

"Steve?"

"Caroline," he replies. "I'm here. We're all here."

"Take me home, please. I just want to go home."

His heart breaks at the soft pleading from the woman who endured hours of torture because of the people she chose to associate with and doesn't think twice about scooping her up in his arms. Though the second pressure gets put on her shoulder and chest, she whimpers in pain and Steve freezes.

"What's wrong?" Caroline continues to whimper as she tries to curl in on herself and Steve finally notices the two puckered holes where her shirt and jacket shifted to expose them. "Why aren't you healing?"

Bonnie finally takes a look at the unhealed wounds, frowning when she sees them. "Did they shoot you?" At Caroline's nod, Bonnie scowls. "The bullets are still in there, aren't they? That's why it's not healing."

Steve softly swears and then gently shifts Caroline in his arms into a more comfortable position. He tells Bonnie to take the lead after picking up his shield for him and carrying it since she was going to lead them. It's quiet upstairs so they take that as their cue to tread without worry. Everyone's been zip-tied and knocked to their knees, and Steve's surprised there's only six bleeding neck wounds and hardly any blood staining Stefan's mouth and shirt.

"She has two unhealed bullet wounds," Steve says. He can see the fire re-ignite in everyone's eyes as they take in Caroline's appearance, his own anger flaring all over again. "We need to get her to Bruce. He can cut them out."

"And get her blood," Stefan adds. "She's lost too much of her own. She needs more to completely heal."

"Then go," Natasha tells them. "Fury's sending in agents to bring these in into our custody since they saw too much of Stefan and he doesn't want word to get out. You three go," she nods at Steve, Tony, and Stefan. "Ms. Bennett, can you stay with agent Barton and I to help keep these subdued?"

"Of course."

Steve hands off Caroline to Tony since he can fly her back to the Tower, and Steve takes his shield back from Bonnie. As Steve rushes to his bike to hurry back to the Tower, Stefan disappears in a blur as Tony takes flight with a nearly unconscious Caroline.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, that happened.


	18. Chapter 18

By the time Steve had made it back to the Tower, Stefan was already down in the spare labs where Bruce and Tony had cleared away everything, having laid Caroline on a high table ready to be worked on. Surprisingly, Stefan was the one giving orders, he telling Pepper to retrieve at least five or six blood bags because with the amount of blood Caroline had lost, she'd be hungry and unknowingly attack them given the chance. And that was when he realized that Stefan was holding Caroline's shoulders down on the table as she slightly thrashed with her vampire visage on full display.

The second someone's scent appealed to Caroline and she started squirming more and more while growling, Stefan ordered Bruce and Tony to back up. He surprisingly asked Steve to hold down Caroline's legs and told the others to stay absolutely still until Pepper came back with the blood because after a bag or two, it'd be okay for Bruce to re-open the bullet wounds to retrieve said bullets.

By the time Pepper had rushed back, arms laden with blood bags, Caroline was hissing up a storm and ignoring the pain she was in as she struggled against both Stefan and Steve. Bruce was quick to retrieve a bag from Pepper and rip the corner of the bag off with his teeth, and the second Caroline zeroed in on him, he stepped forward and tilted the red liquid into her mouth.

She guzzled the one bag down quickly but Bruce was ready to supply her with another that Pepper has slipped into his hand when he reached back for another. Only this time, he tossed the bag to Stefan who handed it to Caroline and she tore into the bag with her fangs before guzzling that one down, too.

After four bags, Caroline was finally under control enough to be worked on even though she was still thirsty. Steve and Stefan didn't have to hold her down, and Pepper busied herself with finding anything to hold water in and spare cloth to clean up some of the blood that coated the young girl.

When Caroline was sated enough to let others closer to her, Bruce cut the bullets out with very little difficulty and whimpers from his patient. Though the second Steve asked what had happened, Caroline's gaze darted up to his. Her eyes were instantly flooded with tears and as she absentmindedly rubbed her healed neck, Steve's gaze fell there where the line of blood started. His jaw clenched, gaze hardened, and Stefan was quick to pull Caroline's head down into his shoulder the second she started sobbing.

* * *

Bonnie and Stefan ended up staying for a couple of days at the Tower with Caroline, the three of them locking themselves away for the rest of the night that they had saved her before everyone else started dropping by.

Pepper and Tony had been the first to arrive the following afternoon only to find Stefan camped on the couch with his serious vampire face on (yes, Caroline took the time to make sure they knew the many faces of Stefan Salvatore), and Stefan directed them to Caroline's bedroom. In there, they found Bonnie sitting up against the headboard and her arm wrapped around Caroline who had curled into her side with a blanket wrapped tight around her. Caroline's usually sparkling eyes had lost their spark and she stared numbly into nothingness.

Clint followed in at third with Natasha dragging a hesitant Steve.

It wasn't that he didn't want to see her- he did- but after he'd carried her bloodied self out of the cell.. it made him feel all types of emotions that he'd forced himself to deny since he'd awoken from the ice. It wasn't like he was oblivious to the attractiveness that was Caroline Forbes. No. He saw the beauty both outside and inside the vampire, but he just felt like it was too soon to be attracted to someone new.

After the ice, he had to mourn the fact that he lost everything he once knew and had to adapt to the modern world. And with adapting to the modern world came the mission of detaining a Norse God, and things just got a little hectic after that. Even more so when they were subjected to Caroline's story about all things that go bump in the night that was hiding right beneath their noses.

But if he were being honest with himself, he'd been stomping down any sort of feelings for the blonde ever since he met her. They were introduced and before she could even utter a word to him, she was off chasing Tony and possibly beating him up after she nearly tackled him into the elevator. And then when she did finally speak to him, she'd call him Mr. Rogers instead of Captain.

He had been screwed since the moment she'd opened her mouth.

Then he had to go and screw things up by letting his feelings get the best of him and Natasha found out his secret. But it was good that she found out considering they found Caroline far quicker than what they would have if his crush hadn't gotten out of hand and Natasha hadn't seen just how much Steve truly cared for her. But now that Caroline was safe and sound back in the Tower, he avoided the obvious and worked out his anger and stupidity in the gym until Natasha wiped the floor with him in a mini spar session, then dragging him upstairs to see that Caroline was doing fine.

"Come on, she could use a little pick me up in the form of your muscles," the redhead had joked. "Stark and Pepper went in about fifteen minutes ago and they haven't come out. Someone needs to save the poor girl."

Clint snorted as they neared Caroline's floor and Steve tried his best to wipe the sweat from face, neck, and arms with the towel Clint threw at him as his partner had dragged him away from the gym. JARVIS lets them in without them even having to knock, and they find Tony and Stefan lounging on the couch as Tony points down the hall to a room.

"The girls are with her. There was talk about a girl's day so Stefan and I are trying to figure out what to do for the guys."

"Anything that involves beer is usually good," Clint supplies before making a beeline for the bedroom.

Stefan catches Steve's gaze and flashes him a smile- one that he hesitantly returns- and then Natasha's leading Steve down the hall. "Steve can put away a pizza or two," the redhead throws over her shoulder. "Just putting that out there."

Steve gives a long suffering sigh, one that has Tony chuckling aloud, and finally enters the quiet bedroom behind his teammates. The slight amusement he was starting to feel quickly drains away as he finds Pepper and Bonnie pressed on either side of Caroline on the bed, and Clint lounging at the foot of said bed as he tries to talk to the quiet vampire.

But luckily for them, they have Natasha with them- Natasha who doesn't care what kind of trauma you've been through and acts as if nothing happened. "So what's this I hear about a girl's day?"

Caroline softly groans as Natasha flicks Clint's ear and tells him to sit up, and Steve takes the wooden chair that's next to Bonnie's side of the bed. "I told them not to," she softly replies. "I'm fine."

"Well, you might be fine but we still need to reassure ourselves," Pepper squeezes Caroline a little tighter. "We're going to smother you with friendship, love, and food, and you can't deny me my right to do so."

Caroline actually giggles at that- something in which releases some of the tension in the room- and her gaze falls on Steve.  _Help me,_ she mouths at him which everyone ends up seeing anyway.

"No can do, Caroline," he shakes his head fondly. "If I have to deal with Clint-"

"Hey!"

"-and Tony for guys night or whatever, you can deal with the girls."

"I'm not that bad," Clint defends himself and Natasha mutters, "Keep telling yourself that."

"Well.. why don't we suffer together?" Caroline then innocently asks. "Tony's being a bit like an overprotective dad so I know he's going to bother Pepper all night long about how I'm doing. Why don't we all just congregate in the living room with hundreds of pillows and blankets?"

"That-" Tony saunters into the bedroom. "-sounds like an excellent idea." Everyone stares at Tony until he figures out why they're staring at him- he then offering them a casual shrug. "Stefan was giving us the play by play. Bruce is here," he then tells Caroline. "He just didn't want to intrude when you're entertaining so many people."

"Nonsense. Bruce is always welcomed to interrupt. Especially when you are being a mother hen."

"I am not-"

"You kind of are," Stefan then claps him on the shoulder. "JARVIS gave directions to Bruce to where he can pick up pillows and blankets. If everyone gives me their preference, I can go pick up pizzas and beer."

And before anyone can say anything, Tony scoffs. "JARVIS knows everyone's preference, Dracula. He can place the order and have everything delivered. Don't worry about it." Stefan scowls at the nickname which only sets Caroline off in a fit of giggles. It's the most happiness they've seen the blonde showcase since she's been brought back to her place so Stefan's quick to forgive Tony for the name-calling. "Let's go, Angel. Let's go find Bruce and help him with the sleepover supplies."

Caroline's giggles are full blown laughter now, she remembering when Tony made the comparison of Stefan to Buffy's Angel, and hides her face in Bonnie's shoulder. Tony leads Stefan away with a smug smirk and the others are left grinning as Pepper tells JARVIS to place the order for pizza, beer, and Chinese.

**xXx. XxX. xXx**

By the time the food is being sent up and Clint, Tony, Bruce, and Natasha left to the non-personal floors to go retrieve it, there's a mound of blankets and pillows on the floor in front of the couch where the coffee table once resided. Steve had been not so gently nudged down into the couch, followed by Caroline at his side who huffed at Bonnie for "tripping" her there, and then Bonnie pressed herself into Caroline's free side while Pepper squished herself on Bonnie's other side.

Stefan laughs as he sees that they pushed Caroline onto a blushing Steve, and Bonnie and Stefan play innocent a little too well while Steve laughs as Caroline kicks Stefan in the back as he settled on the floor by their feet.

When the others get back with the food and drinks, Bruce settles down in the one available armchair while Clint and Natasha take the floor closest to Bruce and Steve. Tony settles at Stefan's other side down in front of Pepper and the ones on the floor dish out the food and beer to those around them.

As they gorge themselves on what they considered comfort food, Clint finds  _Mean Girls_ playing on TV. It was a favorite for everyone except for Bruce and Steve, but Bruce chuckles at all the right places and Caroline nudges Steve before flashing him a grin to keep him comfortable.

They all make idle chit chat during commercials, each and every one of them trying to engage Caroline into a conversation but she keeps her replies short and sweet, and works on snuggling deeper and deeper into Steve's side after they're done eating.

"Seriously," Caroline finally groans and pokes Steve in the side. "You're like six feet something of hard muscle. How are you this soft?!"

The room falls silent at Caroline's words, Steve blinking owlishly at her before Bonnie breaks down in laughter. Tony follows and then Clint, and Pepper while Natasha, Bruce, and Stefan are fighting off smiles as Caroline continues to poke at Steve.

"Um, are you about done?"

"No," she answers and pokes him twice more. "Yes."

"Oh my god, Caroline," Bonnie laughs. "Did you really just-"

"What? He's really cuddly," she defends herself as Steve's ears burn red in embarrassment. She ends up curling her arm around his and resting her cheek against his shoulder, sighing out as  _Sixteen Candles_ starts to play. "You're really cuddly," she then amends because talking about someone as if he wasn't there was just rude. "So while I'm being subjected to have everyone here for the day, you're being subjected to being my human pillow."

"O-okay."

Tony snorts at Steve's unfortunate- fortunate, really- position and Pepper whacks him upside the head to settle down. Stefan forces down his grin, Bonnie giggles as she snuggles deeper into Caroline's side, and Natasha winks at Caroline which makes the vampire's cheeks tinge pink. Clint settles down with his head cushioned on Natasha's thigh with a laugh instead of the numerous pillows surrounding him, and Bruce is the only one to pretend like nothing just happened.

They only make it halfway through the movie before Tony starts talking, which is a shame since this is one of Caroline's favorite movies, and then he's zeroing in his attention on Bonnie who fidgets under his stare.

"What?"

"I'm curious, Ms. Bennett, about how an innocent young lady like yourself start practicing magic?"

"Uh, I was born with it?"

Tony pouts at that and sits a little straighter. "So no one can learn it then? I can't make fire with just a few mumbled words?"

"No."

"Dammit!"

"Oh, thank god," Pepper sighs.

Bonnie chuckles and then sits up a little straighter herself. "You wouldn't have liked it anyway; there's a bunch of do's and don't's that we must follow. That plus the fact, before the other side fell, your spiritual ancestors were constantly yapping in your ear about what you should and shouldn't be doing."

"Really?" Tony drawls.

"Really." Bonnie confirms with a nod and grin. The volume on the TV gets lowered and Bonnie suddenly finds herself the center of everyone's attention. And when she catches Caroline's fond smile, she continues on to what she expects everyone wants to hear. "Big no-no number one was befriending the vampires. Witches are meant to keep the balance of nature and since vampirism goes against that, all my ancestors and their friends were hell bent on putting a stop to it."

"Doesn't look like it worked out in their favor," Clint smirks.

"It didn't," Bonnie chuckles. "Another no-no was bringing someone back from the dead. I brought my boyfriend back minutes after he was killed and he got stuck with the consequence of seeing dead people. And then I brought him back to life again after he'd been dead for months. That time resulted in my death. A life for life."

"That's rough kid," Tony frowns. "How old were all of you when this went down?"

"We hadn't even graduated high school when that happened," Caroline answers. Everyone has their sympathy expressions showing and Caroline figures she's had enough of it. "Even though magic can be pretty hardcore, not all of it is scary and brutal. It can be quite beautiful and rather.. charming."

"I don't know," Stefan sighs dramatically. "I wouldn't call brain aneurysms charming."

Bonnie flicks Stefan's ear in retaliation and Caroline rolls her eyes. "I wasn't talking about that, genius. I was talking about the feather thing. I want to see the feather thing," she then tells Bonnie. "I heard about it from Elena so I want to see it, too."

Since no one has the heart to really tell Caroline no at the moment, Bonnie hums and then leans forward. "Are these pillows stuffed with fluff or feathers?"

"Feathers, Bennett," Tony scoffs. "Do you really think I'm that cheap?"

He goes ignored, of course, and then Bonnie's asking someone to rip open two of their many pillows. Stefan immediately tears one in half and Natasha stabs one with a dagger that no one has any idea where she was keeping it. After gutting both pillows and scattering the feathers around upon Bonnie's request, Bonnie leans forward and takes a calming breath. She closes her eyes for a moment's concentration and in that time, the volume to the TV is completely cut off. And when she opens her eyes, it's like she's looking into empty space and her hands slowly lift up with her fingers moving just the slightest.

The feathers around the room start lifting one by one, each one of them floating delicately before starting to circle everyone gathered in the room. Caroline reaches up with a giggle, letting a feather drift through her fingers as Pepper coos aloud at the scene around her. Bruce and Steve chuckle at they're seeing, Natasha and Stefan smile at everyone's obvious amusement, and Clint and Tony lay themselves out while swatting at the feathers like a couple of cats.

"Magic is so cool," Caroline breathes in awe.

* * *

The following morning, everyone gets woken up by two identical ringing phones. There are immediate groans of protests but after a couple of manly grunts and a snort, the ringing stops and the strict short answers begin from who sounds like Natasha and Clint.

They had stayed up well past 2A- Bruce being the only one to actually go back to his apartment when he got sleepy- and crashed wherever it was they last laid. Tony had taken Bruce's armchair, legs thrown over one armrest while his head was awkwardly cushioned by the other, and mouth agape with quiet snores. Clint fell asleep on his stomach and Natasha, somehow, managed to fall asleep with her back pressed atop of his. Bonnie was curled around a pillow with her back pressed against Stefan's side on the floor and Pepper was leaning against one armrest with her legs curled up on the couch in her corner.

But it was Caroline and Steve who had caught everyone's groggy attention when the two settled right back down into a comfortable sleep after Natasha and Clint ended their call.

Steve's back is up against the armrest, facing towards Pepper's end of the couch with his legs hanging off the side as Caroline had somehow managed to squeeze herself between his hip and the back of said couch which resulted in Steve's arm curling around her back. Her cheek is pressed against his chest, her one free arm laying across his stomach as her feet disappear somewhere behind Pepper.

"That's adorable. Quick, someone snap a picture."

"If any pictures are snapped, it'll be your bow I hide, Barton."

"How did you even-"

"You're all heavy breathers." Caroline's eyes slowly blink open, her gaze already trained on where Barton is sitting up at and Natasha is finger brushing her hair. "Sensitive hearing, remember?"

"Same here," Steve grumbles, his arm tightening around Caroline who's cheeks tint pink at their arrangement. "Now be quiet and go back to sleep. Captain's orders."

Tony snorts and Natasha throws a pillow at him. "Barton and I are needed on the Helicarrier. We're finally going to get a crack at the men we took in."

Caroline tenses at her words and Steve's eyes finally snap open. He merely nods at Natasha before looking down at Caroline who's blushing up at him. Normally, he'd return the blush but he's too tired and too comfortable to really care at the moment. So with a shrug and a slight wiggle to get even more comfortable, he sighs. "Are we needed, too?"

"Not at the moment but Fury did say he'd like to speak to both Caroline and Stefan a little after noon."

"Why me?"

Turning to Stefan, it's Clint who answers. "The Director doesn't want to keep them on the Helicarrier and since the vampire secret was exposed, he'll want those memories erased so they can go to a regular jail facility without blabbing. Two vampires using compulsion is a lot quicker than one."

"That and he'll want to get a short debrief to see if the information he got from them is the same they spoke of in front of Caroline," Natasha adds in. "Shouldn't take too long."

"Fine. Whatever," Caroline snuggles deeper into her little space. "Wake me when I need to shower."

She shakes with suppressed laughter from Steve and pinches him on the side in retaliation only for Bonnie to ruin her morning. "Oh, no, you don't! I need to head back home and see if I can make up for any missed assignments so you need to get up and show me how to work your shower. Stark," at this, Bonnie narrows her eyes on said man. "-apparently has too much time on his hands. I took a peek at that shower last night and there's way too many buttons and handles for my taste."

"Thank you," Steve grumbles in appreciation. "I tried telling him not everyone enjoys that but he just looked at me as if I were crazy."

"You are crazy," Tony huffs. "Both you and Sabrina over there," he waves in Bonnie's general direction without even opening his eyes. "A few seconds under the water's spray and you'll be singing my praises."

"Sure I will," Bonnie grumbles and climbs to her feet before grabbing Caroline's arm and pulling. "Come on, Forbes!"

"Noooo." she whines in response. "Just leave me be."

"Steve will still be here when you get back," Bonnie rolls her eyes. "Now let's go."

"I hate you!"

"You love me. Now march."

Everyone watches in amusement as Bonnie pushes a sleepy and grumpy vampire towards the hallway where her bedroom and master bathroom resides, Bonnie screeching moments later and then Caroline blurring back into the room with a mad giggle.

"She ruined my sleep so I ruined her usual shower wake-up; sprayed her with cold water."

"You're a scary woman, Little Bit. Remind me to never get on your bad side."

"Don't get on my bad side."

"Noted."

Caroline winks at Tony and pads back towards the couch, frowning as she comes to a stop and now realizes that it might seem a bit awkward to even try and get back into her sleeping spot. Steve cracks open an eye and sleepily grins but she can't even gather up enough courage to reclaim her spot. Instead, Pepper chooses that moment to stand and stretch, asks JARVIS for the time and when she finds it's just after eight in the morning, she babbles about being late for work and snags Tony's wrist only to yank him up, and then lead him out of Caroline's place with a wave and wink over her shoulder.

Clint and Natasha both stand, and with a shared look, both take their leave after brief hugs and temple kisses to Caroline before muttering about heading in to work.

Stefan's left in the room with only Steve and Caroline, and he quickly makes himself scarce but not before grinning knowingly at his friend. Once left alone, only Caroline is able to hear to Bonnie swear up and down against Tony and his stupid amazingly shower before she bursts out laughing and shares Bonnie's Meg Ryan moment in the bathroom with Steve. When he laughs along with her, he fully stretches out along the couch and holds up his arm in an open invitation.

"Sleep?"

"Sleep." she nods with a bashful grin.

**xXx. XxX. xXx**

As it turns out, sleep just wasn't in the cards for Caroline or Steve.

The moment Bonnie had emerged from the bathroom, she jumped on the back of the couch and then slid down so she landed only on Caroline. She wiggled until she unsettled Caroline and even got a few laughs out of Steve after seeing the two girls swat at one another, and then Caroline was up because she just couldn't sleep anymore.

The blonde vampire quickly left for a shower of her own which she instantly regretted the second she walked into her kitchen fresh and clean. Steve was suspiciously fighting off a blush, and both Stefan and Bonnie looking far too smug for their own good.

Bonnie had all her stuff gathered in record time and with promises to keep in touch, Caroline gave her friend the number to her Stark phone since her personal one was long gone. And just as Stefan was escorting Bonnie out of Caroline's place, Steve got the phone call to go ahead and bring in both Stefan and Caroline. Stefan had looked rather sheepish and apologetically at Bonnie but Tony stepped in to save the day with a ride back home on his private jet for his new favorite witch.

**xXx. XxX. xXx**

On the Helicarrier, Stefan's the only one who is a bit twitchy at being in a debrief room. It's a bit much for him- the steely gray room with a metal table and metal chairs along with the one way mirror. Agent Barton had tried to assure them it wasn't an interrogation room but the vibe of the room said otherwise.

But still, Stefan sat as calm and collected as he could next to Caroline who sat in between him and Steve with agents Romanoff and Barton sitting at the ends of the table.

Caroline assured Director Fury and both agents- who did some interrogation earlier- that the men had only wanted information on the Avengers to begin with when they  _"kidnapped"_  her. They'd kept an eye on her as she came in and out of the building, taking note of who she was spotted with while out and about but she had tried playing dumb with them. They had planned to ransom her for information but when they saw that her lip healed seconds after it being busted up, they were far more interested in her and wondering if Stark was tinkering with a serum that was similar to Steve's.

Her voice trembled here and there but she kept strong and gave Fury whatever information he wanted. And when she was finished, she was left with one very intimidating eye boring into her.

"Thank you, Miss Forbes, for not giving out any information. Most people would crack under the pressure they had you in." Director Fury gets a nod back in understanding and then his intense stare is turning on his two agents. "Which is saying something especially since you shouldn't have been put in that situation in the first place. I had agents in place to make sure they had their eyes on you."

Both Barton and Romanoff tense but Caroline clears her throat rather innocently. "With all due respect, Sir, I don't need eyes on my person twenty-four seven."

"Don't you? You were taken and tortured."

"Because I allowed it," she sits up a little straighter and narrows her eyes. "I could have easily fled but I didn't want to out the vampire secret. I didn't plan on outing the secret but it happened. Me being taken is no one's fault but my own for not taking up any offers to being walked home."

Fury huffs and leans back in his chair, agents Barton and Romanoff fighting off smirks at Caroline standing up for themselves and owning up to her wrong. "I see," he drawls. "Well, Miss Forbes, I'm just going to get straight to the point then since everything else has been cleared up."

"Which is?"

"The fact that I want yourself and Mr. Salvatore to sign on as consultants with SHIELD."

"E-excuse me?"

"No."

Stefan's stumped over the offer, Caroline looks dead set in her refusal, and Steve, Natasha, and Clint aren't trying that hard to mask the glares they're shooting at their boss for trying to involve Caroline even further into the chaos that is their job.

"You wanna run that by me again, Forbes?"

"I said no," she says. "I work for SI and SI only. The only reason I got involved in the first place was because they were going to kill Ms. Potts. You see, Director Fury," she readjusts herself in her chair so she's more comfortable before sighing and clasping her hands atop the table, mimicking Fury's posture. "-given the opportunity, we vampires can be very possessive creatures. Mr. Stark and Ms. Potts were the first I grew quite fond of and didn't like seeing hurt hence the reason for outing myself. And over time, I tucked Mr. Banner, Mr. Rogers, Ms. Romanoff, and Mr. Barton under my wing. They might be your people but they're my people as well. Should  _they_ ask for assistance, I'll be there but I'm not signing on under a contract only to be used as a power play for you."

"You seemed to have thought this through."

Smirking, Caroline nods and leans back casually in her chair. "Not all blondes are idiots, Sir."

Fury's jaw ticks but he nods nonetheless. Even though she turned him down, she did it in such a respectful way that he has no reason to start yelling and making demands. "What about you?" he then asks Stefan. "After hearing how you handled yourself and kept in control when saving your fellow vampire, SHIELD could use someone like you."

Stefan's jaw snaps shut and he takes in a deep breath through his nose before slowly releasing it. "I'm going to have to side with Caroline on this one, Sir." Before Fury can start ranting and raving, Stefan plows on. "It's not that I don't want to help- I'm just a phone call away as Caroline will be- but if I sign on for anything official, you have to think about the baggage that I come with."

"His baggage being in the form of his brother," Caroline rolls her eyes.

"Exactly," Stefan agrees. "We get along right now but the smallest of things can set him off. If he chooses to, he'll become volatile and make my life even more miserable than it already is. It's really not worth the trouble to add me in only for Damon to tag along in the end."

"Well goddamn," Fury finally snaps. "I need someone! The world's getting too goddamn big what with magic and monsters, and I need someone on my team who already has a foothold in this mythical realm of yours."

Caroline's lips purse in contemplation and Stefan's head tilts to the side. Simultaneously, both turn to look at one another and forget about the room's occupants for a moment.

"Elijah?" Caroline suggests. "Not only is he an Original, but he's the only one we know of who strives to be noble and honest."

"Yeah but his baggage comes in the form of Klaus," Stefan debunks her reasoning. "While he would make a good ally, he'll put family above all and Klaus is the most volatile being we know even though he's behaving for the moment."

"Too true," Caroline agrees with a hum.

"Elena?"

Snorting, Caroline barks a quick incredulous laugh. "You're joking, right? Yes, Elena's a do-gooder but once again..  _Damon!_ "

Stefan's lips briefly quirk as he shrugs, both he and Caroline running through their memory of who they could trust. Fury's on the edge of snapping once again but Caroline suddenly perks up and he holds out on the ranting. Staring at Stefan, her lips barely move as she whispers something too low for the humans to hear.

Stefan's eyes widen just a fraction and he slowly smiles. "Of course. How did we not think of that before?"

"She's fairly neutral," Caroline begins to return her friend's smile. "She's hellbent on keeping the balance and if she were to get paid for it, well that's just icing on the cake."

"It also helps that she doesn't show favoritism. She's nearly killed us off before because we were in the wrong."

Caroline giggles and nods, and it's Natasha who pieces it together. "You're talking about the witch; Bonnie."

"We are," Caroline confirms. "She'd be a great addition to whatever it is a consultant actually does  _but,_ " she quickly turns her attention to Fury. "-you're going to have to give her some leeway."

"Such as," the Director drawls, already fed up with this conversation.

"Such as that you wait until she finishes college or work around whatever her schedule is. There's a high chance that she will take the job but I won't have you pressuring her."

It's Fury's turn to think on it for a moment, his gaze then traveling over to his agent. "Is she worth it?" he asks Natasha.

And without hesitation, Natasha gives him a terse nod. "She's worth it."

"Then we have a deal. Let me know what your friend says and have paperwork ready for her to sign whenever she wants to start."

With that, Fury takes his stand and strides out of the room, everyone slumping in their chairs the second the door closes. Caroline's quick to whip out her phone and place a call to Tony who she proceeds to snark at until he passes over his phone to Bonnie.

The two girls share a quick conversation, Caroline explaining as best as she can that SHIELD wants her to work for them. And when asked what exactly she's expected to do, Steve gives her the rundown about how she'll be on call twenty-four seven but there are times that she'll have time for herself. Natasha's the one to tell her that, most likely, Fury wants her on board to basically be a teacher and school everyone on what she knows about the supernatural realm and only step in when the situation calls for it.

When Bonnie seems like she's going to turn it down, Clint sweetens the deal by telling her that if she were to start as soon as possible with them, SHIELD would be funding her schooling and that they'd work with her around whatever schedule she gives them.

Not so surprisingly, Bonnie agrees to start working as soon as she gets settled back in with school so she can come up with a steady schedule to give them.

**xXx. XxX. xXx**

Later that night after everyone's sure Caroline is okay to be alone and that she's not going to have an epic meltdown, her Stark phone pings with a message.

The number the message comes from is not programmed into her phone but the digits are familiar to her.

_Bon told me what happened. I'm glad you're okay.- Elena_

It's a simple and to-the-point message, Caroline quickly typing back  _thanks_ before she gets ready for bed.

Looks like their friendship was fixable after all.


	19. Chapter 19

Outfits:[ Polyvore](http://www.polyvore.com/buy_date/set?id=145822372)

*

It only took Caroline a couple of days to be her usual perky self. Her friends at the Tower were at a loss at what to do and say because the people they knew about that had been through torture took months to re-enter themselves back into society. But apparently not Caroline and she was tortured rather gruesomely what with the throat slitting and here she was with blinding smiles and delivering lunch to her friends since there was no new event to plan.

Stefan was due for a visit not that long after, he showing up to the Tower to check and make sure Clint hadn't let the vervain plants die, and to refuse his new friend's suggestion of using vampire speed to run around while Clint shot arrows at him. The vervain was doing fine in the indoor nursery that Tony had made for it and before Stefan could leave, Pepper sought him out and asked if Caroline was truly okay. They had tried talking to her but she merely brushed it off and filed paperwork or kept herself busy with whatever she could find.

_She's fine_ , he had told them. Which, she was. Caroline was one of the few that Stefan had come to know who had become stronger both mentally and physically with the change. They knew that Caroline had been tortured before but they never knew the details and after Stefan explained the gory details, the team was left speechless that bright, young Caroline had been through anything like that. But Caroline was a fast a healer and they really had nothing to worry about. If she seemed like she was over it, then most likely, she was.

With still no new event coming up that Stark Industries was planning, Caroline was left to roam around SI and play assistant to those who needed an extra hand. She enjoyed bringing in lunch for the team, exploring the new shy flirtatious dynamic between her and Steve that left everyone sitting on the edge of their seat, and dancing around expressing any types of feelings.

Steve was in the same boat with her, passing along the shy smiles and flirty winks when he felt bold enough but no one ever took the leap.

Bonnie had quickly found a solid schedule with school and contacted Caroline to pass along her number to the agents. She was soon hooked up with SHIELD and after an enormous amount of paperwork, SHIELD somehow managed to swing Bonnie's classes online as well as a Professor to Skype with Bonnie when needed, and planned to have the witch aboard the Helicarrier soon.

As the weeks slowly trickled by, Tony comes up with the brilliant idea for a SI event in the form of auctioning off dates with the most eligible bachelors and bachelorettes that he wants to take place in July which is only a few months away. So after making sure Caroline is up for it, the blonde vampire finally has her mind set on something to do and immediately gets to work.

But with Caroline focusing her attention on her real job, Pepper slowly realizes just how much the blonde vampire was doing there at the Tower and soon finds her own paperwork backing up on her. So since the company is hers to run, Pepper types up an ad and puts it out there for any hopefuls who were looking for an assistant's position.

Her inbox is immediately flooded with responses and it was only after the deadline for applications to be turned in did Pepper set to work on finding herself a new assistant. It took lots of background checks and recommendation checks to immensely cut down the list, and when it was only a handful of applicants that she couldn't choose from, she decided on meeting them one-by-one for a personal interview.

They were all great on paper and in person but Pepper couldn't help but be drawn to one female in particular. The twenty-three year old was of Taiwanese descent and had a name that Pepper couldn't pronounce to save her life so the young girl kindly told her that she also went by Millie.

Millie was a bit on the tall side, dark layered hair that fell to the middle of her back, and a fair complexion that would make any woman jealous. Wide set eyes crinkled at the corners when she was amused and plump lips curved into a mischievous smile that went totally against the innocent vibe she gave off.

* * *

Caroline's in her office on her lunch break- the entire floor's occupants having fled the floor at the 12P mark- bouncing ideas off of Tony who's casually laying across her couch as they talk about the upcoming  _Buy a Date_ auction.

"So are doing formal or  _formal_ formal?"

Tony shrugs. "There's a difference?"

"Duh. Formal is when men can get away with showing up in a nice blazer, a fitted vest underneath, and jeans. It's also where the women can get away with dresses that barely cover their cheeks.. and I'm not talking about about the cheeks on their face." Tony snorts in amusement but doesn't stop Caroline's explanation. "And  _formal_ formal is more sophisticated where there are only tuxes and suits allowed as well as beautiful dresses that cover from chest to toe."

"I'm feeling very adult-ish," Tony admits with a wry grin. "Let's go the sophisticated route."

Taking a second to type that up, Caroline mimics his grin. "Done and done."

"Good. How are we on all the single people waiting to be auctioned off?"

"We're actually looking pretty good," Caroline laughs. "I convinced Clint to sign up as well as Natasha but she's only doing it because Stefan promised to show up and bid on her if the man or woman wanting her affections seems like a slime ball."

"They do know the money is going to a cancer charity under your mom's name, right?"

"Of course," she assures him, taking a moment to recall the day Tony confessed that he was still feeling blue over Liz's death and wanted to do something for her. "Trust me, Stefan has some money to throw around and he's a do-gooder. When Natasha seemed uncomfortable with the idea but couldn't turn me down, he swooped in to save the day. And Clint- Clint's excited to see women fighting over him. Such a weirdo," she adds as an afterthought.

"Excellent. What about big, mean, and green?"

Sighing, Caroline gives Tony an exaggerated eye roll. "Bruce is a no go." And before Tony can retort, she holds up her hand to stall him. "Just listen; I am not going to hound Bruce into signing up because he's still uncomfortable when I try to hug him. Can you imagine a stranger trying to pull the moves on him? He'll Hulk out with how nervous he gets!"

"So will the Capsicle but he's still doing it! Right? Please tell me that Rogers hasn't backed out?"

"No, he hasn't," Caroline answers him. "And Steve will do fine. He's not a prude, Tony."

"Might as well be. He blushes when you smile at him."

"No, he doesn't."

"Does to."

"Ugh, can we not?"

"Oh, we so totally can," he slowly grins. "Caroline, my dear, did you put yourself on the list to be auctioned off?"

"No."

"And why not?" She fidgets under Tony's stare, eyes averting back to her laptop screen and letting her fingers hover above the keyboard. "Well if you're not participating, at least tell me you plan to bid?" Her cheeks burning red is answer enough and Tony bolts upright, eyes sparkling with mirth. "God, just date already! There's so much  _ust_ between the two of you."

"What?! I- I don't even- no. Just no. We're not talking about this."

Tony looks absolutely ecstatic over Caroline's flustered state but thankfully for the blonde vampire, Pepper decides at that moment to stride in with a smile and Millie trailing in her footsteps. And seeing the new face for the first time, both Tony and Caroline put on welcoming smiles of their own and stand to greet the new girl.

"Tony. Caroline. I'd like the both of you to meet Millie, my new assistant."

Holding out his hand, Tony's the first to greet her. "Always a pleasure to meet Pepper's strays."

Millie's smile falters and Pepper gives a long suffering sigh. "Just for once, Tony, can you play nice?"

"I am nice!"

Caroline chuckles aloud, pushing pass Tony and offering her own hand. "Don't worry about him. He'll grow on you. Like fungus."

Tony gasps in an offending manner but the smiles both Pepper and Caroline adopt has Millie understanding that working for Ms. Potts and Tony Stark is going to be something entirely else than what she originally thought. But the second her hand and Caroline's clasp in a friendly greeting, an ice cold chill overtakes her entire being, and static shock cause both girls to gasp and pull apart.

Smile now gone, Millie's dark eyes zero in on Caroline's calculating gaze.

Brows crinkling in confusion, Caroline fidgets in place. "You're a-" but she doesn't get to finish that sentence because her brain is suddenly on fire and she buckles to the floor on her knees. Hands clutching her head, Caroline's groans turn into full blown screaming.

Pepper yelps in fear and Tony's quick to put himself between the suddenly intense looking Millie who's focusing on Caroline and his girlfriend. "What are you doing? Stop!"

"I can't," Millie seethes. "She's a bad person, Mr. Stark." Her gaze suddenly gets even more intense and Caroline's anguished screams has Pepper on the verge of crying. "You have no idea who you have working for you."

"I do-  _we do!_ " Tony, having had enough, grips Millie by the shoulder and turns her so she's focused on him, and with her attention elsewhere, her concentration on Caroline breaks. "We know Caroline's a vampire. We know!" Millie's anger vanishes within a split second, her brows furrowing together in confusion. "And if you so easily figured it out," realization slowly dawns on him. "That means you're-"

"A witch," Caroline snarls from her position at Millie's back, she having flashed to her feet when everyone's attention was elsewhere. Pepper's new assistant doesn't stand a chance of even peering over her shoulder before Caroline's vamps out right before Tony's eyes and sinks her fangs into the witch's neck.

Pepper yelps yet again but since Caroline isn't in the killing mood, she only sinks her fangs in to injure and not kill. So after two seconds of Millie's pained screams, Caroline releases the witch and tosses her aside where she falls on her bum.

Now seething once more, the witch glares up at the room's three occupants as she holds a hand to her bleeding neck. "You know she's a vampire and yet she still works for you?!"

"Of course," Tony bristles. "Caroline told us everything. She's even saved our lives before."

"Impossible," Millie shakes her head in denial. "Vampires are controlled by their blood lust; they're dangerous. They need to be put down."

Caroline hisses, her vampire visage still in place but Pepper's hand on her arm keeps her from advancing on the downed witch. "It's true," Pepper assures her. "Caroline is our friend. She isn't like other vampires."

Still shaking her head, Millie scoots back from them. "She's compelled you then."

"I gave them vervain, you little twat," Caroline sneers at her. "They're my friends."

Tony snorts at her choice of words but is soon staring down in disapproval at Millie. Even Pepper's torn between looking on in a disapproving manner and fussing over Caroline who keeps ducking out of Pepper's reach. With her enhanced hearing, Caroline hears the elevator ding open and rushed footsteps coming towards them but she doesn't think too much about who's coming.

"I have- I have a coven!" Millie tries, thinking she's in danger when she finally realizes more people are coming. "They'll kill you if any more harm falls upon me."

"No, they won't." All eyes dart towards the door, Bonnie standing there with Steve at her back and the air around her practically crackling with magic. "I'll be sure to talk to your coven and tell them you attacked an unprovoked vampire." Anger flashing in her eyes, Bonnie steps forward until she's within arms reach of the new witch and squats down to be at eye level. "Even though we're all about balance, the spirits frown upon untrained and uncontrollable witches even more. You should know better."

Steve's immediately at Caroline's side, a handkerchief coming out of his pocket so he can clean up the blood around her mouth.

"Impossible," the girl breathes in awe. Her eyes dart all over Bonnie's face, her eyes widening before coming suspicious once more. "The Bennett line died off! Nana said so."

"Oh, it died off a couple of times," Bonnie smirks and slowly stands. "But you really fail at being a witch if you don't remember that Bennett magic is positively one of the most powerful out there."

Millie doesn't like the fact that Bonnie appears to be gloating, so with a scowl she pushes herself to stand up in Bonnie's personal space. The intimidation tactic doesn't work well on Bonnie and she sees the tense posture- the readiness of Millie's hands and wrist. Before she can gather up enough magic, Bonnie squints and with a quick jerk of her head, Millie goes flying to the left where she's pinned to the wall.

"Don't underestimate me again. You won't like the consequences."

Millie huffs and struggles but in the end, Bennett magic overpowers her.

When Millie's given up, Steve's quick to escort Caroline up to the Communal floor to calm her down since she's still on edge. Bonnie stays put with her attention solely focused on Millie and Pepper awkwardly clears her throat until Millie's staring at her.

"I'm sorry to say but it appears we won't be needing you to fill my assistant's position after all." Millie looks seconds away from arguing but Pepper holds up her hand. "We would have over-looked the witch thing but you attacked Caroline and you said so yourself that vampires need to be put down. That's something we don't believe in here so we're going to have to let you go."

Millie's jaw snaps shut, her jaw clenches but she nods nonetheless. "I understand. I can see myself out."

* * *

Caroline teeters in her heels, pushing back the strand of hair that she had purposely left out of her braided side-bun behind her ear. She had told everyone to go ahead without her as she was at the ballroom helping set up 'til the last second, and then got back to the Tower as fast as she could so she could get dressed herself. After she had slipped on the one dress that she found perfect for the event- the one dress she wore only once what felt like ages ago that Klaus had let her keep from his family's collection- she had more than enough time to get to the auction event. Only, she didn't count on the paparazzi waiting outside said event to take pictures and ask questions.

She had taken her fair share of pictures, had questions thrown at her (who was she wearing, where was her date, was she bidding on anyone in particular since she showed up without a date?), and made it into the room just as the first person was being bid on.

"Oh my.." Pepper breathes in awe as she's the first one to spot her friend. "You've been holding out on me, Forbes. Where did you get that dress?"

Smiling sheepishly, Caroline's cheeks tint pink in the dim lighting as Stefan, Tony, and Bruce all turn towards her. She runs smooths her hands over the pearl and crystal beading of her dress, and shrugs. "It was a gift from Klaus; collected over the years that he roamed the world. I have no idea what year it is, actually."

Everyone smiles approvingly as Caroline takes her seat in between Pepper and Stefan, she realizing that Bruce and Tony went the same route with their black and white suits, and bow ties. Stefan, on the other hand, wore a blazer over a white dress shirt with black slacks and a black skinny tie tied loosely around his neck. He's also the only one who seems to have lost his blazer and pushed up his sleeves to his elbows. But Pepper- Pepper looks as elegant as ever in a golden shimmering dress with sleeves down to her wrist and a one-sided slit that went dangerously high up on her thigh.

"It's not like you needed my help, anyway," Caroline continues. "You look amazing."

"Thank you," Pepper beams.

As Caroline settles, a flute of champagne is brought to her and she eagerly sips some before she lets her eyes scan the line-up on stage. "Who's going up first from our group?"

"Clint," Bruce answers. "He's very.. eager to see a bid war over him."

"Of course, he is," Caroline rolls her eyes. Then turning her attention to Stefan, she grins at him. "Are you packing enough cash for Nat? I saw the dress she chose to wear tonight; that plus the fact she went blonde for the occasion."

"I'm prepared," Stefan slowly smirks. "Are you?"

Brows furrowing in confusion, Tony chuckles and slides an ordinary looking pouch towards her before she can ask her question. "Trust me, sweetheart, you're going to need this."

"Need what?" No one says anything- only smile in response- and Caroline quickly opens up the pouch only to find a serious amount of cash inside. "What the hell is this for?" she hisses, closing the pouch right away as if someone would see and start jumping to conclusions.

"Your  _not yet boyfriend_  really dressed up for the occasion."

Caroline follows Tony's gaze, finding Steve right away dressed to the nines in one of his military uniforms. Mouth watering at the sight, Caroline gulps and then quietly groans. "Goddammit," she breathes airily and nearly swoons on spot. "He couldn't make this easy, could he?"

"Oh, no." Tony agrees with glee. "You might be bidding on Steve, Little Bit, but every other woman and possibly man will be bidding on Captain America."

Caroline groans yet again and her gathered friends laugh at her unfortunate taste in one Steve Rogers.

**xXx. XxX. xXx**

By the end of the night, Clint walks away with a dark-haired beauty on his arm that looks like she's going to eat him alive the moment she has a chance if her painted red lips curved in that sultry smirk of hers is anything to go by.

Stefan ends up bidding on Natasha and winning after she gives him the signal (sheepishly brushing her hair behind her eyes as she makes direct eye contact with him). She had been fine and content as the men and women bidding on her hit the thousand dollar mark, but the second a greasy looking man who kept winking and licking his lips at her when they made eye contact had her seeking out Stefan's help when the stranger's bid kept getting higher and higher. Stefan ended up giving nearly seven thousand to the cancer organization but it was well worth it when Natasha grasped his arm as he helped her off stage and promised to make him  _Ptichie Moloko (Birds' Milk Cake)._ The redhead had many hidden talents and one of his favorites that he'd recently gotten to know was that she was a great baker.

Other men and women who were bid on rarely hit the three thousand dollar mark but there were others who hit well above it.

Though when it was time for Steve, the chatter audibly picked up and Caroline immediately scowled and grumbled at everything her vampire hearing was picking up. Tony didn't bother hiding his glee at Caroline's outright dislike for every female and a couple of males in the room, her dislike showing greatly as she kept outbidding the highest bidder.

The longer the fight for Steve goes on, the more Tony, Stefan, Clint, and Natasha can't hide their amusement. The second the bid for Captain Rogers hit ten thousand, Caroline forcefully pushed her chair back and stood to join the small group of two women and one man who kept bidding higher than her.

Steve couldn't hide his blush with the bidding war going on right before him but the war proved for great entertainment for everyone else.

In the end, Caroline won by bidding seventeen thousand and barely managed to keep her fists to herself when the losing women had a few choice words to mumble under their breath about the blonde who won Captain America.

Steve had been a constant shade of red for the remainder of the night, Caroline was always seconds away from bashing her head repeatedly into the table, and everyone else couldn't stop smirking at the couple who just wouldn't stop dancing around each other.

But even with Caroline having won her date with Steve, the two were stuttering fools around each other before and after said date, and it took everyone's every ounce of will power to not lock the two away and only let them out after they were an official item.

Who knew getting together one super soldier and one vampire would be so hard?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you want to know what Pepper's short-lived assistant looks like, search "Hsu Chi" (Shu Qi) in google. That's her :)
> 
> And sadly, up next is the epilogue. This story was never supposed to be about romance so there will be no big romantic gestures. Obviously, they will get together but it'll be in the most innocent of ways and they won't even bat an eye after becoming official.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter set: [Polyvore](http://www.polyvore.com/back_to_mystic_falls/set?id=146819258)

*

**Epilogue: First Anniversary of Liz's Death.**

Caroline jolts awake, sheets riding low on her hip though her satin nightgown is hiding the bits that should be covered. Her eyelids and limbs feel heavy, a small part of her mind trying to lull her back to sleep while a majority of it is on alert because  _something_ woke her up. So against her better judgment (the small piece of mind telling her just to fall back asleep), she pushes her hearing outward for any disturbances. One second passes then two and she hears it again, the sound of what appears to be low strumming of a guitar; an electric one.

"What the.."

Grumbling to herself, Caroline quietly creeps out of bed. And instead of asking JARVIS for any insight about what's going on in her place of home and alerting the intruder to her state of being alert, she tiptoes lightly out of her bedroom and down the hall. With her lips twitching into a scowl from her annoyance at being woken up while it's still dark out, she peeks around the corner only to sigh aloud and then groan while subtly smoothing down her nightgown, and pats down her hair.

"Seriously, Rogers? I just fell asleep! What are you even doing here?"

"What does it look like?" He innocently looks up, his too snug cotton jacket making Caroline mentally curse him all the more. "I'm playing the guitar."

"You're a horrible guitarist. Don't quit your day job."

Steve grins at her deadpan and sets the guitar down to his side, chuckling lowly and leaning back against the couch as he eyes her. She shifts uncomfortably under his stare, crossing her arms over her chest and trying her damnedest not to blush.

After all these months of dancing around their feelings since their "date", Steve and Caroline are finally.. still Steve and Caroline. They've put no label to what they are- much to annoyance of Tony and Clint who still have an ongoing bet about when things turn official- but they have both acknowledged that there's something there. They're comfortable enough with each other to snuggle up and watch movies together on their down time, even going as far as letting themselves in to each other's apartments without the knowledge of said homeowner, but there's no hand holding or kissing that would signify something  _more_.

"What time is it?" Caroline then asks when Steve offers up nothing.

"Late enough for everyone to still be asleep but early enough that should we hit the road right now, we'll make it to Mystic Falls while the sun's still out."

She tenses at his words, eyes finally meeting his and narrowing. "And why would we be going to Mystic Falls?"

Steve's amusement slowly fades and Caroline's confused once more. "I know you didn't forget what tomorrow is- today, technically," he replies. "Pepper and Tony gave you the day off so we're going to visit your Mom's resting place and pick her out a nice bouquet of flowers."

Caroline gets a little misty-eyed and just when Steve's about to start apologizing, she cracks a grin and chuckles while tucking a loose strand of hair behind her right ear. "You're really something else, Steve, you know that?"

"So I've been told." He matches her now lazy grin and breaking eye contact, he reaches down by the coffee table and pulls up two thermoses. "Now dry your eyes, get dressed, and I'll give you your blood and coffee to prepare yourself for a long drive on the back of my bike."

Her eyes light up and one second, she's all the way across the room and in the next, she's right next to him pecking his cheek and taking her promised goods before disappearing in the blink of an eye to get dressed.

**xXx. XxX. xXx**

Before Caroline had even jumped into the fastest shower ever, she took one generous gulp of coffee and one generous gulp of blood before stripping. She used her vampire speed to give her body a good scrub down and shave, rinsed her hair, washed her face, and washed out her mouth. And once out of the shower, she speed blow-dried her hair with just a towel wrapped around her body, and flashed out of the bathroom and into her walk-in closet to get dressed.

Pulling open drawers and choosing carefully, Caroline clips on a bra and pulls on some underwear. Dark maroon slim fit jeans cling snugly to her legs, a soft cotton tee with the words  _Breath Deeply, Love Madly, Live Fully_ fits her upper torso loosely, and a dark green-gray military cotton drawstring anorak jacket is slipped over her tee to keep the wind from stinging her exposed skin. She spots a pair of black mid-calf boots that look fairly comfortable for the occasion and slips those on as well before flashing herself back into the bathroom to brush her hair and plait it over her shoulder. Once she's completely ready, she takes yet another generous gulp of coffee before up-ending the blood into the same thermos as the leftover caffeine and sets out to nicely greet Steve.

"Wow." Steve lowly whistles in awe. "That took less than ten minutes."

"Well, vampirism does have it perks."

Caroline winks at him as she makes her way into the kitchen, depositing the empty thermos into the sink before turning back to Steve. He still has his back to her, packing up the guitar in a case that Caroline hadn't seen until now. Once it's all packed away, he walks it over to the corner of the room and places it by the shelf of books which half of belong to him. He then joins her in the kitchen, easily finding the cabinet where the mugs reside and pulls down  _his_ personal mug to fill with coffee before they head out. He moves around her place easily which brings a smile to her face as she sips her own beverage but also puts a weird heavy sensation on her chest. Her mind's quick to jump all over the place and she's suddenly left wondering about just what she and Steve are doing.

Out of all the people who knew her Mom, it's Steve who's taking her down to Mystic Falls- Steve who's personally driving her on his bike.

Now, no matter what Tony says, Caroline's not as oblivious as the boss man likes to say. Since the beginning, her friendship with everyone was almost instantaneous and abnormally close-knit. But out of everyone, Caroline had thought she was closest to Pepper. At least until her Mom passed away and then Steve just kind of stepped in and never stepped back down.

Over the months, they kind of just settled in a weird flirtatious friendship where both of them were too scared or nervous to take the leap and ask the other out, but then she went and bid on him when Tony convinced him to sign up for the Bachelor auction. She had spent thousands of dollars (most of it being Tony's) for a date with Steve and even after their perfect day at an art museum and zoo, they were still stuck in the flirtatious friend zone. Don't get her wrong, Caroline was comfortable with the flirtatious friendship she had going on with Steve but the fact that he took the time to plan a trip to Mystic Falls- just him and her- to visit her mother's grave on the anniversary of her death? Well, not only was that heartwarming but it's something far more personal than what they normally deal with.

It's just him and her, not the team tagging along with them.

Steve finishes his mug of coffee fairly quickly and nudges Caroline out of the daze he finds her in as she's leaning against the counter. "You okay? We don't have to go if you're not feeling up to it," he suddenly frowns. "I just thought-"

"I want to," she's quick to cut him off, offering him a quick smile in assurance. "I was just thinking about something."

"If you're sure-"

"I'm sure."

He nods and starts to rinse out his mug, watching Caroline from his peripheral as she sips from her thermos and then nervously worry her bottom lip between her teeth. Sighing, Steve places the mug down and faces her once more, turning so his own hip is connected to the counter with one hand laying on said counter and the other on his hip. "Caroline, what's going on?"

She immediately has this expression on her face that he knows whatever she's about to say is a lie, so crossing his arms over his chest, he stares at her with his  _don't feed me no nonsense_ face until she snaps her jaw shut and sighs.

"I don't- I just," she struggles with her words before groaning aloud. "Oh God, please don't let things get weird after this," she mumbles before turning, her hip connected to the counter now as well and meets his gaze head on. "What are we doing here, Steve?"

The tension drains from his posture a bit as he straightens up, his expression now rather confused. "What are we doing?" he repeats. "We're getting ready to leave for Mystic Falls," he answers slowly.

And this time, it's time for Caroline's no nonsense expression. "Not that, you goober. I mean  _us!_  What's going on with us? Both our places have property that belongs to other, I have clothing of yours in my closet for when you're too lazy to make the trip back to your place, and we cuddle! What are we doing?"

"W-what exactly brought this on?" He avoids answering the question and making eye contact.

"The fact that it's you taking me back to Mystic Falls on such an important day and not my friends that I grew up with or met in High School. That and the fact that everyone's betting on when we're finally going to become an official thing."

"I knew it," he suddenly straightens up, eyes bright. "I asked Pepper and Nat what they knew about this so-called bet, and they denied everything."

Caroline's lips twitch at Steve's sudden interest in their friends and their lying about the bet, his eyes widening before he flashes a sheepish grin. Steve nervously chuckles and rubs the back of his neck, said neck tinging red with his obvious embarrassment now. "I- I'm not sure what's happening between us. What do you want to be happening?"

He refuses to make eye contact and Caroline's reminded just how not so forward Steve Rogers is with women. He's come a long way since he's been unfrozen but underneath all the good looks and muscles and fame, he's still that shrimp kid from Brooklyn who gets nervous around a dame. "I.. I like you," Caroline finally admits and this time, it's her turn to avoid eye contact. "Like,  _like-_ like you but.. I'm a vampire," she sighs sadly. "Human-vampire relationships are very complicated."

There's a moment of silence where Caroline tries her best to avoid eye contact but fingers brush her chin and she finds herself willingly letting Steve angle her face upward to peer up at him. "Look at me," he softly replies, a fond smile overtaking his features. "I  _like-_ like you, too. And as for complicated? Doll, our lives are filled to the brim with complications what with who we work for. What's one more?"

She caves after his words, blinding him with a smile and gracing him with a giggle. But that only lasts for two seconds and then she's back to being unhappily doubtful. "And what happens if  _like_  turns to  _love_  and we stay together for years to come, and people start noticing Captain America's girlfriend isn't aging like she should be?"

"When that happens, then we let them believe you're like me," he shrugs. At Caroline's confused expression, he gently smiles down at her as his fingers move to brush the apple of her cheek before cupping said cheek with his hand. "Banner's been running some tests. Aging is nothing more than cells losing the ability to heal themselves as time passes but with the serum pumping through my veins, well.. they're healing. It doesn't appear that I'm aging but if I am, it's very  _very_ slowly."

"So what you're saying is-"

"What I'm saying is that if you're willing to jump, I'm right there with you."

Caroline slowly grins, her eyes crinkling in the corner at Steve's confession, and nods. Steve returns her grin with a smile of his own, his eyes then quickly darting down to her lips before meeting her gaze once more. Permission granted, Caroline's lips curve into an even bigger smile before she pushes herself up on the tip of her toes to press her lips to Steve's.

They're both smiling into the chaste kiss like loons, Steve sighing out with a chuckle before using his other hand to cup the other side of her face. Finally molding his lips with hers perfectly, Steve presses one then two warming kisses before pulling back with a small grin.

"Oh. Wow." Caroline suddenly clears her throat even as her eyes are still closed. "I can get used to that."

"Same," Steve agrees. "Remind me again why we waited so long?"

"Because we're idiots," she tells him, quickly pushing up once more to steal a kiss. "But we can make up for lost time later. We have to get going." Steve's own eyes finally open when Caroline pulls free of his grasp, he watching as she quickly drinks what's left of her thermos and then depositing it in the sink. "What do you say, Cap? Should we hit the road?"

**xXx. XxX. xXx**

Steve and Caroline's happiness lasts up until they hit the garage, the both of them coming to a sudden halt as they find Tony leaning against Steve's bike with his arms crossed over a black shimmering helmet. The man in question is glaring but he's not exactly glaring at Steve and Caroline but rather glaring at their hands where their fingers are tangled together.

"A couple of minutes," he finally huffs. "The two of you couldn't have waited just a couple of more minutes until you were on the road, could you?"

Steve and Caroline fidget under Stark's stare, and it's Caroline who breaks first. "A couple more minutes for what?"

"Getting together!" he explodes, though he's not really angry. He's just.. well, a sore loser. "Becoming boyfriend and girlfriend or whatever labels the two are using now. I had money down that it would happen on the trip but since you got together here in the Tower, Pepper wins! Again! That woman always wins. I don't understand how she knows these things."

Steve finally chuckles and Caroline quirks an eyebrow at her boss. "How did you even find out? Shouldn't you be asleep?"

"I was tinkering on a car," he gestures off to the side where one of his numerous of cars sits next to an open tool box. "JARVIS alerted me to the chumminess of you two in the elevator."

Caroline narrows her eyes, glancing upward. "Traitor."

" _Apologies, Miss Caroline."_

She giggles through her annoyance, shaking her head fondly at Tony who's now smirking at her. She and Steve start moving once more, Tony standing straight and moving aside when they near the bike before passing the helmet to Caroline who says, "Maybe you can convince Pepper to give you twelve percent of her winnings."

Tony gapes and Caroline cackles, Steve now being the one to shake his head fondly at the two of them as he settles on his bike. "She's never going to get over that, is she?" Tony grumbles.

"Nope." She plops the helmet atop her head, buckling the straps beneath her chin before taking her spot behind Steve on the bike. Wrapping her arms around his mid-section, Caroline grins wickedly as the bike roars to life beneath her. "Go to sleep, Tony. I'll keep you updated at every stop."

At Tony's nod, Steve gases the bike and the two are off.

**xXx. XxX. xXx**

During the trip to Mystic Falls, Steve makes a couple of pit stops to refuel his bike and to pick up some snacks so they could munch on before hitting the road once more.

There's a bunch of shy kisses, laughter, and hand holding that they're making up for; the both of them trying so hard to ignore their nearly non-stop vibrating phones. Caroline had already made the mistake of checking some of her messages which only proved to make her laugh and then groan because their friends were some nosy people.

Pepper had been the first to text her, the CEO wishing them safe travels and thanking Caroline for finally getting together with Steve because she was now hundreds of dollars richer, and seeing Tony sulk was just making her day.

Tony wasn't far behind in the texting, he texting the both of them about how they were off his Christmas list and then sending them directions to every store on their route that sold condoms because safe sex was good sex. But then he sent several texts back to back when he remembered that Caroline was technically dead so she couldn't catch anything or get pregnant, and proceeded to tell them to screw the condoms. Caroline had rolled her eyes at his messages and then snorted when Steve told her he had messages from Tony as well, he gulping rather heavily while a blush blossomed on his cheeks as he read them.

Bonnie had congratulated her on finally being official with America's Sweetest Piece of Ass (her words, not Caroline's) and told Caroline that they were having a girl's night the night after she slept with Rogers because a girl just needed to know some things.

Caroline had been grateful that Natasha and Clint were both on a mission because she knew Clint would be insufferable but the moment Matt's message popped up on her phone, she couldn't help the long suffering sigh and then the uncontrollable laughter which only made Steve suspicious of his girlfriend.

**Matt [8:47AM]: So I hear you and Captain America are official. Nice.**

**Caroline [8:47AM]: How do you even know already?!**

**Matt [9:01AM]: A little birdy told me when he picked up breakfast from the Grill.**

It had taken Caroline a moment to wonder who the birdy was but when she put two and two together- the mission Clint and Natasha were on had them in Mystic Falls- she groaned in response. They were going to give her hell when she showed up.

**Caroline [9:03AM]: He's such an old lady. I'll text you later when Steve's not operating a motorcycle, Mattie. Safety comes first!**

**Matt [9:04AM]: You were never one for safety, Caroline, but okay. I'll just interrogate you and Steve next time I see you.**

**Caroline [9:05AM]: You're such a fan boy.**

For the rest of the trip, Caroline's the only one to respond to texts but she ignores everything about her newly established relationship with Steve in favor of telling everybody that they're still safe on the road and checking in every other city they're in.

Once in Mystic Falls, the two stop by a local flower shop.

They get caught up for a moment longer than they anticipated there, the florist having recognized Caroline and then praising her on her excellent skin regimen because it hadn't looked as if the young blonde had aged a day since she'd last seen her. Caroline, of course, blushed and Steve tried his best to contain his snickers. After a short talk, Caroline told the lady they really needed to be on their way and then purchased yellow tulips which Liz had adored. Steve then added to that by picking up a long single stem of cymbidium orchids with blush pink lips, and then the duo were on their way to the town's cemetery.

Steve's quick to park the bike out by the entrance of the cemetery, Caroline climbing off and unbuckling the helmet adorning her head before laying it down on the seat. Once both are settled on their feet and flowers clutched in their hands, they clasp their free hands together and start heading for where they know Liz's grave resides.

Caroline keeps her head held high and she knows that if her heart had beat like it once used to, it's be beating so fast and hard that she's pretty sure Steve would be able to hear it. The closer they get, the harder Caroline clenches her jaw to keep the ball of emotion that's welling up in her throat from making her cry out. Though the closer they get and Caroline finally realizes that someone's already at her mom's grave- crouched and laying down a single long stem rose before standing up- the unease of seeing her mom's grave again leaves her. And when the mystery person stands and turns around, Steve and Caroline are faced with Elena who owlishly blinks at them and then offers an impish grin.

"I- I guess everyone had the same idea today," she mutters, gesturing to the various flowers already adorning Liz's resting place.

Steve squeezes Caroline's hand in comfort because this is the first time they've seen Elena since the fallout after Liz's funeral, but Caroline offers her old friend a small huff of laughter. "I guess we did."

A moment of silence falls and Elena's gaze drops down to the couple's clasped hands, a genuine smile tilting the corner of her lips upward. Brushing a strand of hair behind her ear, Elena chuckles and locks gazes with Caroline. "So you two are finally a thing? Nice."

Absentmindedly, Elena holds her palm up and Caroline slaps her own palm against Elena's in a high five. The girls blink in confusion at the sudden friendly gesture they just put on display, the two of them breaking down into peals of laughter.

After coming down from their amused high, Elena sighs sadly. "I've missed you."

"I've missed you, too," Caroline admits with a guilty smile.

And now, poor Steve's just watching on and wondering what the hell just happened.

Elena sighs and nods in acceptance, stepping aside as Caroline drags Steve forward, the both of them lying their flowers down next to the others.

"Damon came earlier," Elena tells them, tucking her hands in the pockets of her jeans. "He spotted your other friends here dropping off the daisies and gardenias."

"Well, that was nice of him," Caroline replies as she brushes her fingers along the carving of her mother's name.

"Yeah.. and speaking of your friends," she continues. "Natasha and Clint, if I remember their names correctly, are in town but going by different names and acting as if they've never met one another before. The female moved into your old house and the male is staying at a bed-n-breakfast. Care to explain as to what's going on?"

Caroline swears under her breath and Elena chuckles at the response. But from the look Caroline gives her as she peers up at her, Elena knows she won't give her a straight answer. So instead, Steve clears his throat and tucks his hands in the pockets of his jeans as well.

"Agents Barton and Romanoff are on a mission here in Mystic Falls," he tells her with his best Captain America persona. "It'd be in their best interest and the interest of their mission if you keep the fact that you know their true identities a secret."

"A mission," Elena suddenly perks up, her grin falling. "Is something wrong here in our town that we don't know about?"

"Oh, you know about it," Caroline snorts. Elena's frantic gaze falls back to her friend and realizing her mistake, Caroline swears again and stands up out of her crouch. "We know about the bodies showing around here via vampire attacks," she admits. "The government agency that I once told you about knowing about us has decided to help out and cover it up since they don't want the vampire secret out either, hence the reason for both agents being here under entirely different names and leading different lives."

"O-okay," Elena stammers. "But why not team up with us? I mean, we're all working for the same goal, right?"

"You are," Steve agrees. "-but given past interactions with us, the agents decided to do work on their own. Though if worse comes to worse, they'll have your back and I hope you'll have theirs."

"Of course. I'll let the others know."

"Please, do so," Caroline sighs in relief. "I can't have Damon or Alaric getting compulsion happy with my friends when they don't get the answers they're looking for. I can't and won't be held responsible for Nat using her newly acquired vervain bullets or Clint's vervain arrows on them."

Snorting, Steve smirks. "Nat's a magnet for vampires so I'd appreciate it if all of you can work together even if you have to  _discreetly_  keep an eye on them. Back in New York, some unlucky fella tried compelling Natasha when we had a night out on the town. She let him believe his tactics were working, and then she disposed of the problem when he got mouthy and admitted to playing with his food."

"Yikes," Elena chuckles. "Yeah. I'll tell Damon and Alaric to be discrete. No problem."

"Thank you."

Another moment of silence passes- a moment in which Elena studies the two before her and she can't help the chuckle that escapes her. And when asked why she's laughing, Elena merely shrugs. "It's just.. you left Mystic Falls to get away from all of this yet you're still in it."

"I know," Caroline wryly chuckles. "But it's different in New York. Easier," she admits.

"How?"

"Well, for one, I have a career that keeps me busy when life threatening events aren't going down. And when they are, I have the choice of joining the fight or letting the Avengers take care of it. They mostly take care of it with help from Bonnie."

"Yeah? And how is Ms. Bennett? She missed Christmas and New Year's."

"She's good. She's keeping up with school online and flourishing at her job with the government. In fact," Caroline smugly grins. "-she's the one who's actually in charge of Barton and Romanoff's operation in town."

"You're joking?!"

"'fraid not, 'Lena. Our little girl's all grown up!"

Elena laughs incredulously, basking in the easy going conversation she's having with her friend. She's learned some new things just now that she has to share with others before they make a mistake and seeing as they've now run out of things to discuss, now would be the time to take her leave. So pasting on a genuine smile, Elena slowly starts backing away. "Well, I guess I should be going. You probably want to talk to Liz and what not."

Caroline only nods, her friendship still kind of rocky with Elena so there's no farewell hugs, and two left standing wave at Elena's retreating form.

And once out of ear shot, Steve hums before peering down at Caroline. "Did that really just happen? Are you two really buddy-buddy again?"

"Yeah," Caroline shrugs. "Being what we are, life is too long to hold petty grudges. But don't get too comfortable," she grins up at him. "There will be more fights in the future but in the end, we'll always be friends."

Steve snorts, letting go of her hand that he was still holding in favor of draping his arm around her shoulders. He tucks Caroline into his side as she laughs and turns them so they're facing the grave of Liz.

As their laughter dies down, Caroline sighs deeply and stares at her mother's headstone. "Hi, mommy." Her voice cracks and Steve squeezes her just a little tighter to show some comfort. Her arm that's pressed between her body and his is moved so it's now across the small of his back, her thumb hooking into his pocket. "I miss you." She has to pause yet again, taking a deep breath and clearing her throat when it becomes too tight with suppressed emotion. "A-as you can see, Steve and I finally got our act together. Took us a while but uh- here we are."

"Hope you don't mind, Ms. Forbes," Steve suddenly cuts in. "But I'm going to be sticking around for a while. Make sure your daughter's taken care of."

"Are you kidding? Mom would have rolled out the red carpet for you and pushed me at you already in a wedding dress."

Instead of blushing like he would have years ago at the prospect of marriage to a very beautiful girl, Steve snorts and laughs. "You're probably right. Remember our first Christmas party? She preened under all the hateful stares we got when Tony kept pushing us on the dance floor."

"Oh, God, like I can forget," she laughs. Steve joins her in the memory, laughing alongside her when Caroline's chuckles turn watery and she's left sniffling, and wiping at her eyes. "I miss her so, so much. I can't believe it's already been a year since I've last spoken to her."

"I know you do. I miss her, too, Doll."

He lets her shed some more tears, squeezing her in comfort and being the solidarity that she needs right now. After a few moments pass, Caroline suddenly pulls away and kneels in front of her mother's headstone, kissing the tips of her fingers and then pressing them the stone. "You were right, you know that?" she murmurs, speaking as if Liz were sitting right there. "When we first settled down in New York, you told me everything was going to be okay and guess what? It's more than okay. I mean, I could use you right now but apparently God had other plans for you." She pauses in her little speech, gulping and smiling briefly. "Mystic Falls was never meant for me and I think you knew that. I found my own little niche in the world with some of the most amazing people and it saddens me that won't you see me flourish."

"But she will," Steve pipes in, suddenly kneeling beside her and nudging her with his shoulder. "Just because she's not on this plane anymore doesn't mean she's stopped watching."

Caroline can only nod in response, more tears sliding down her cheek even as she smiles through her heartache. She leans into Steve's touch when he cups her cheek to wipe away a tear with his thumb, moving her face so she kisses his palm before moving away. He smiles faintly and then watches as she lays her hand on the headstone, bowing her head and saying a silent prayer.

When all is said and done, Caroline rearranges the flowers around her mother's grave before standing and offering her hand to Steve. Though he doesn't need the help up, he still takes it and keeps a hold of her hand as Caroline silently starts their retreat back towards his bike.

But the closer they get to the bike, the more tense and nervous Steve becomes. There's something weighing on his mind, something he and Caroline should have talked about before they became what they are now and he doesn't know how she's going to react. But instead of having another moment's hesitation, Caroline pulls them up short and quirks an eyebrow at him.

"What's going on?"

"W-what do you mean?"

"That," she grins. "You stuttered and I can sense your emotions, remember? Now spill. What's going on?"

Steve chuckles nervously, swinging their entwined fingers between them and leads them to stand by his bike. Sighing, he pushes Caroline's helmet aside and sits sideways on his bike, taking her other hand in his own and pulling her so she's standing between his parted legs. "I- I have to tell you something." Caroline's amusement slowly fades but Steve's too busy staring at their hands. "I know we only started dating but being who I am, obstacles were bound to come up and one did- it came up weeks ago and I should've said something before this morning happened but-"

"But," Caroline cuts in, slowly pulling her hands free. "You were scared of my reaction."

"Yes," he admits. Looking up, he sees her heartbroken expression and his own eyes widen in fear. "No. Don't cry," he pleads. "It's nothing bad, if that's what you're thinking. I'm glad this morning happened- more than glad, actually- and this is all on me. I messed up by not telling you there might be a relocation for me in the near future and I- I'm selfish. I wanted this-  _wanted us_ \- and I didn't want Fury's plans to get in the way of that."

She falls silent at his babble, her expression slipping into that of something more confused. When her brows pull together, Steve's practically holding his breath when her lips part. "Relocation? You thought a relocation would get in the way of us?"

And yeah, he wasn't expecting that.

"Yeah," he shrugs. "Wouldn't it? I mean, back in the days, a lot of the dames didn't like it when their men got shipped off to war. And since what I do is sort of like being shipped off, I didn't think you'd wait for me."

Another moment of silence passes and then Caroline snorts, lowering her head and shaking it in disbelief. "Well, you got one thing right," she tells him. "Us ladies don't like when our men go off to war." Steve deflates a little but the grin she gives him immediately reassures him that everything just might be fine. "But the dames back then didn't have what we have now."

"Yeah, and what's that?"

"The internet. There's a wonderful program that will let us video-chat and I can teach you how to use it if you want."

"I want," he sighs in relief. "If it means you'll wait for me, I'll do whatever it takes."

Caroline smiles at him now, eyes free of tears before leaning down and hugging him. Chuckling into his shoulder, she pulls away with a coy grin. "I can't believe you were so worked up over that. Long distance relationships are a thing now, Steve. They're not easy, but I think we can make it work."

"Definitely."

It's only when Caroline's got her helmet back on and her arms are crossed over Steve's abdomen does she ask him where exactly it is that Fury wants to send him.

"D.C," he tells her. "I'll be in D.C for a few months."

And with that, Caroline settles back and enjoys the short ride to the Grill. If Steve does end up in D.C on Fury's orders, it most likely won't be for long and let's face it, D.C is where all the important people are so it's most likely one of the safest places to be.

Right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> End.
> 
> Sort of.
> 
> Someone asked me if I would be writing a sequel and continuing this into CA: TWS? And honestly, I really wasn't on planning to. But then I got hooked on Agents of SHIELD and wrote a ONE-SHOT that'll take place between "Young Blood" and "No One's Here To Sleep" which will be the official sequel.
> 
> But don't get your hopes up! It's going to be Caroline-centric so she won't see as much as action as Steve and Natasha, but she will get some action and eventually meet the Winter Soldier.
> 
> Up next is, of course, the ONE-SHOT titled "Their Last Hope" so be on the lookout for that sometime soon.


End file.
